


the price to spend more time with you

by UniversalSatan



Category: Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series)
Genre: Andrew Ilnyckyj & Steven Lim & Adam Bianchi, Angst, Beaches, Debateably Pre Established, First Kiss, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Intoxication, Locker Room, M/M, Makeouts, Misunderstandings, Scarves, Volleyball, Winter, ive upgraded to Lowkey Makeout, since #4 can be seen as platonic but i wont put it in a tag, that australia tour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-01-17 16:33:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12369684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniversalSatan/pseuds/UniversalSatan
Summary: uhhhhh guess i've fallen in the standrew pit nowprompts ive been given/oneshots for standrew (edit: and worth it gen!!) :)





	1. beach australia blues

**Author's Note:**

> "this might be too long for a prompt but: steven and andrew when they were in australia. its really late but they're both still up so they end up going outside (their hotel is right by the beach) and they end up having their first kiss" [anonymous via tumblr]

The waves crashing on the shore outside. The sound of the heater clicking on and whirring. The sound of a bed creaking a few rooms down.

Steven rolled over in is bed for what felt like the millionth time. His sheets didn't have that prime crispness and coolness hotel beds held when you first slid into them, and his eyes were already accustomed to the darkness of the room - no matter how long he tried to keep them shut.

Rolling over onto his stomach, Steven hugged his pillow and buried his face into its softness.  _There was no way he was going to be able to sleep like this._  There wasn't necessarily even a reason he couldn't sleep anyways. Steven, of course, could put all the blame on the immense jet-lag he had travelling all the way to Australia, but subconsciously realized that other thoughts had been plaguing his mind throughout the trip.

Resting his head to the side, Steven let his eyes wander over to the lump of pillows and blankets on the other queen bed in the room. The lump itself was expanding and contracting evenly, and every once in a while - if Steven listened  _very_ closely - he could hear the occasional sigh from it. Sometimes the lump would even shift in its spot before returning back to normal.

Steven couldn't help his smile. He didn't want to completely accept it, of course, so he buried it into his own pillow. Still, he couldn't stop the warm swelling feeling in his chest. The feeling that made him feel like he was floating, like he was shaking, like he was on cloud nine.

See,  _this_ is what was keeping Steven like an insomniac. Something about watching his friend and colleague sleep was enchanting, and it was  _addicting_.  _How was Steven supposed to get enough of it when it was only midnight?_

This was going to be a long night. Or perhaps, it wasn't going to be long  _enough_.

Reaching for his glasses, he slid them onto his face and wriggled out of his covers, leaving a shell in his bed from where he had been. Outside his covers was chillier than within, but there was no way Steven was going to go to sleep if he stayed anyways. May as well take advantage of the foreign air and surroundings.

Steven grabbed his windbreaker, his phone, and his room key before heading to the door to put his shoes on. He was trying his best to make as little noise as possible, as he kept his stare fixed on sleeping Andrew. So far, he seemed to be doing a good job of keeping quiet.

Slipping out of the hotel room with extreme caution, it was only then that Andrew started to move around a bit more in his sleep. Steven smiled at himself before quickly closing the door behind him.

Now that he had escaped, Steven let his mind wander and his feet take him wherever they pleased. It was amusing to see by reflex his body move past the stairs and to the elevator, taking the extra minute or two to wait for the ding indicating the elevator carriage was at his floor. 

The hum of the elevator, the bright and artificial lighting, the absence of time within the confines of the moving box - everything helped Steven grow deeper into thought. He let his mind wander, as that was why he had originally gotten out of bed in the first place. To let his head empty the thoughts of Andrew back in their hotel room. Walking was better to take his mind off things than lying restlessly in his bed.

The elevator doors opened, which took Steven a few moments to process. He jumped out before the doors could close him back in, and continued walking towards the entrance of the hotel. It's not like he was wide awake anyways; Steven was mentally exhausted and desperately wanted to sleep despite his inability to.

_Andrew and his bad puns. Andrew and his stupid smile and styled hair. Andrew and his teasing and how he almost pushed Steven off a beach cliff a few times over the past few days. Andrew and the way he held him back every time he did tease so. Andrew blissfully enjoying the good food and drink they had been given._  The automatic entrance doors slid closed behind him.  _Steven needed to stop thinking so much about Andrew._

The sudden sea breeze that hit Steven's face was a good distraction. Even though they had been in Australia for quite a bit now, the climate was still rather different than it was in LA. The humidity was like a constant wall in the air, and there was a certain unique fresh but saltiness every time you took a breath in. It was also cooler now at night, which was why Steven was grateful to have brought his windbreaker out with him.

The hotel's slightly more private beach was rather peaceful, as there was just about no-one around at this time of night. Directly in front of Steven was the sound of crashing and lapping waves, while behind him all he could hear the sounds of vehicles humming in the distance. The water was dark, and so was the sky above it - only slightly illuminated from the city behind him. 

The debate of whether or not Steven would leave his shoes on lasted in his head for about 3 seconds before ultimately decided no shoes was the way to go. The sand might get messy later, but for the sake of feeling and distraction, he opted to go barefoot for the while. There was something about squishing wet sand between your toes and having the freezing cold water wash over your feet that let Steven not think about anything for a satisfyingly large amount of time. He could probably even stand there for the entire night if he wanted to.

Steven incidentally almost forgot about Andrew completely... that is, until he heard someone that definitely sounded like Andrew walk up beside him and speak.

"Bad night?"

Steven glanced over at Andrew. He was too tired to be shocked that Andrew had magically appeared beside him. Andrew was in his jacket and pyjama pants, and also barefoot at this point. He was looking back out at the ocean now.

"I thought you were asleep," Steven admitted. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. Checking behind him, he could see Andrew's shoes beside his own - well away from the threatening tides.

"So did I."

"And? Why are you here?"

"I saw you leaving the room. I had been awake for a bit, so I decided to go follow you and see if you were okay," Andrew said, rocking back and forth on his heels. He seemed like he had something else to say - or just to continue the conversation - but didn't know how to say it. Steven was the same, so he didn't comment on it.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

Silence. Steven tried to will it not to be awkward, but it didn't seem to end up being anyways. The crashing water filled their ears, and they were comfortable enough in that situation that nothing needed to be said - or not right away, at least.

"We're leaving Australia tomorrow. You should be getting a good sleep," Andrew continued after a minute or two.

"And so should you. You don't have to care about me."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I've... I've just been thinking too much. I'll be fine."

"And it's been interfering with your sleep?"

"Just today."

"Ah."

Steven didn't know what to feel. Something about Andrew's acceptance was comforting, but another part of him was anxious as to how much further Andrew would pry. After all, Andrew  _was_ the source of all of his problems.

"What kind of thinking is keeping you up enough to go out here?"  _Oh, so he was going to pry after all._  No matter; Steven could keep his answers vague but still satisfy the question.

"Stuff. Things that have happened lately. Lots of things have happened lately." Steven could hear his own pitch growing higher, even slightly. He hoped Andrew didn't pick up on it.

Andrew was frowning: "We've been here for a while now. Did something go wrong with the recordings? Something happen on the internet?"

"No, nothing like that," Steven assured, seeing Andrew raise his eyebrow skeptically at him, "It's more...  _internal_ , you could say."

"Are you in a rough spot right now?"

"Not really. I've just had... a lot on my mind."  _This was getting tiring._  Dodging from the point. Andrew cared, yes, and that was good to hear, but it didn't help Steven's situation whatsoever.

"Is it... is it something I did?" His soft tone made Steven angle himself towards his friend, and stare at him in shock. Andrew was smiling, almost as if he was trying to laugh his comment off, and rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He was also avoiding Steven's eyes, gaze jolting to different spots in the water underneath him. It was rather out of character, but here was Andrew being timid about his actions. 

"Actually...  _yeah_ , it kind of is."  _What on earth possessed Steven to actually reveal what he was thinking, he did not know._ The entire situation felt like a dream anyways, as if he would wake up and neither of them would remember anything that had happened.

"I'm sorry if I really scared you earlier or whatever - it's just... kinda funny to see your reaction and... it's for the  _camera_ , y'know?"

"N- no, not like that... I'm not hung up over that..."

"Oh, really? That's good." Silence. Andrew had straightened up again, but still avoided any eye contact. "What is it then?" Then,  _softer_ : " _What did I do?_ "

"You didn't do anything," Steven smiled. He could hear his own tone grow fond, and could barely see Andrew react slightly out of the corner of his eye. "I'm just thinking too much."

"About what?"

"About...  _nevermind_."

"Are you sure-  _oh_." Andrew stopped abruptly mid-speech, causing Steven to tense up and freeze. He could barely see in his peripheral vision how Andrew's eyes widened in understanding, and how he cocked his head curiously at his friend.  _Steven said too much_. That, or Andrew was too perceptive. "Do you want a kiss then? To relieve you of your worries?"

Steven didn't process the question right away. He was too busy panicking over Andrew's reaction, too busy watching tiny waves in the distance, too busy listening to the next few tides wash in. He had probably made the unintentional silence between them accidentally awkward before he snapped his attention completely to Andrew.

"Wh-  _what_?"

"Like a goodnight kiss. For sweet dreams."

" _Um_... yeah... okay, sure," Steven hesitated.  _He couldn't read the situation._  Andrew was smiling jokingly as he was approaching Steven faster than he could mentally prepare himself. Steven couldn't figure out if this was ironic or if he was actually going to be kissed in the next minute.

And yet, Andrew still approached him with a confidence currently foreign to what he was experiencing at the moment. Steven's heart was beating loudly and almost shaking him, and it took him every last bit of his concentration to not wobble and stay cool while time slowed down in front of his very eyes. 

Andrew was so close. It was dark, but the background light cast shadows across his face, and Steven's eyes were already growing accustomed to the darkness on the beach. He was so close now that he didn't know where to look, so he looked down and let his eyelids lay heavy over his eyes. Steven could even just barely smell the reminiscence of Andrew's cologne that he had had on during the day.

Looking back at that moment, Steven could see that Andrew had originally been going for a peck on the cheek, but since Steven had turned his head quickly to stare elsewhere at the wrong moment, he ended up feeling lips on his own. 

_Release. Warmth. Relief. Happiness._  The expanding feeling was back in Steven's chest now with a slightly more determined intensity. Andrew had taken the most out of the situation and had fixed his head and angled it to align almost perfectly with Steven's. The kiss itself was gentle, it was sweet, and was drawn out for longer than either of them had originally planned. They both had a lot to say in that kiss, after all.

Breaking apart, they stood in front of each other, eyes still half-closed and short of breath. They stood like that for a minute, letting the cold water wash up against their legs and the sounds of the world around them pass them by without any concern of what was going on in their heads. It took another minute for them to glance up at each other and crack large smiles.

"Feeling better?" Andrew asked, holding Steven's arm.

"Yeah, I think I've got most of my thoughts organized now."

"That's good," he hummed, pivoting and wading deeper into the water, rolling up his pants a bit. Andrew made it a few steps out until he brought his hands to his mouth, abruptly shouting at the sea:  _"Kiss fact!"_  

Turning around and staring directly at Steven, Andrew continued: "Did you know that people's lips are one of the most sensitive parts of the body? They have about ten thousand nerve endings, while parts in genitals usually only have about eight thousand."

"Where the heck did you get that information from?" Steven laughed, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

"I read it on one of those Snapchat articles earlier."

"Of course you did."

"I was  _bored_." Andrew walked past him, going to go balance and put his shoes back on. Steven followed in suit. "Do you think you can go to sleep now?"

"Hm, after  _that..._  maybe not..." Steven teased, "Now I won't be able to stop thinking about that."

" _Aw, c'mon_... that was supposed to help you sleep and have sweet dreams. Do you need me to sleep with you and make sure you fall asleep?" Andrew drifted closer to him, slipping his own hand into Steven's. Steven interlaced their fingers and held their grip.

"Maybe. You have to sleep too."

"I don't need to sleep."

"Yes you do. Just sleep in my bed and we can make sure we're both sleeping. Thank god Adam got a room to himself."

"What? You don't want him to wake up and see us cuddling?  _'Andrew just got cold in the night, Adam.'_ "

"He probably wouldn't say anything."

"You're right."

"Hey, Andrew?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we kiss again? Another goodnight kiss? When we're back in our room?"

"Yeah. Only one though; we gotta get to sleep still."

Steven smiled, eyes crinkling with happiness as he leaned against Andrew's shoulder as the elevator doors closed in front of them.

"Alright."


	2. sweet kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "standrew first kiss prompt!!!" - anonymous (via tumblr)
> 
> andrew can't stop thinking of what steven said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) i have writer's block again apparently so sorry about that  
> 2) i ended up listening to folk like near the beginning so i hope i could maybe just possibly get across what that's like via the mood or whatever

"This is so good I could almost  _kiss_ you."

Andrew choked on his drink.

_"What?"_

"This is  _amazing_ ," Steven had practically moaned, leaning back into his chair to relish the taste. "The texture is really smooth, and once it melts in your mouth it's so creamy... and there's no overpowering sweetness to it; it's perfect." Steven sat back with his eyes closed for a few seconds. He opened them and glanced at Andrew: "Did you try it? Too starstruck?"

Andrew shook his head slightly, mentally shaking himself. He stared at the piece of chocolate in his hand before taking a careful nibble out of the edge. "Oh, man, this actually is really good."

"Right? You could almost say it has a  _romantic_ sort of taste. A sensual-"

"Sexual? Oh, yeah, that too. It's exquisite."

Both Steven and Andrew were on set at a chocolate shop at the moment, trying out some medium-priced chocolate. Adam had his eyes trained on the camera screen behind the shot, smiling slightly at the other two's slight banter.

After they were done recording at that location, they stood up, idling helping Adam with the rest of the recording equipment. Andrew had a bag strap on his shoulder, and tucked his hands into his jacket pockets casually. Dropping back to walk with Steven, he continued to stare out in front of him, avoiding eye contact.

"Hey, Steven?"

"Yeah man?"

"Backtracking a bit... why did you say the chocolate made you want to kiss me?" Andrew tried to laugh, avoiding it being awkward. Glancing at Steven, he could see he was all bright smiles, so he must have not caught on to the underlying seriousness in Andrew's tone.

"It was really fucking good, Andrew. And plus, you had mentioned that you wanted to check out that place before, so you're kinda the reason why we went and tried that chocolate in the first place."

"Ah." Of course Steven didn't mean anything by that. It was  _Steven_ , after all.

"You seemed really shocked when you first tried it. Did it live up to your expectations?"

"Even more so," he grinned, now letting himself watch Steven's movements out of the corner of his eyes.

"Well we still have one more fancy place left to go... prepare your butt, Andrew Ilnyckyj." Steven winked at him before disappearing into the passenger side of the car. Andrew chuckled a bit, crouching himself into the driver's seat and shutting the door beside him.

It was dumb to be still thinking about what Steven said, but now that the idea was planted in his head, he just couldn't get rid of it. He tried thinking of something else, even just concentrating purely on driving, but as soon as Steven started rambling on about the second chocolate fact, he became easily distracted with Steven's bright smiles and laughter. 

The last destination passed by in a flash. It was already growing dark, so Andrew ended up finding it easier to space out than he already did. Before he knew it, they were done the shoot and heading back to the office to grab their stuff. 

As soon as they figured out the Worth It Winners of the day, the camera was shut off and everyone slumped in their seats. The radio was playing softly through the speakers, quiet enough that Andrew could easily tune it out. Driving through the busy downtown of LA, the contrast of dark skies and bright artificial lights everywhere was rather comforting - everyone in the car watched structures pass by out of their windows sleepily.

"Do you guys need to be dropped off at the office or can I just drop you both off at your houses?" Andrew spoke up, voice gruff but clear over the slow song currently playing. He cleared his throat quickly before returning to patiently tap on the driver's wheel.

"I'm ready to go home," Steven mumbled. Andrew glanced over at him. He had his cheek against the window on his side, and was playing with the chocolate box on his lap with his hands. "I'm already tired."

"Me too," Adam piped up. He yawned and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses. "My house is probably the nearest to here."

"Alright. I'm ready to call it an early night too." They lapsed into silence once again. There was some sort of finality to it, knowing that they were so close to being alone in their house to relax so soon and refresh for the next work day. The rest of the ride was uneventful... quiet, save for the few goodbyes once they had driven up to Adam's apartment. 

As soon as the door shut behind him, Andrew felt the air grow tenser, realizing it was just him an Steven now. There was no reason why it should be, but Steven's kiss comment from earlier crept out from the back of his mind. It wasn't like Andrew was uncomfortable per se, but rather possessed some weird feeling of anticipation. 

He almost jumped out of his seat when Steven spoke up for the first time in a while, in fact: "You seem to have been on edge since the second shop." The comment was casual, as if he had been pointing out the weather outside. He was still staring out the window.

"I'm just tired. It's been a long day. We did all three destinations today; there was a lot of recording."

"Hm." They were stopped at a light, so Andrew moved to turn up the radio, until Steven started speaking again. "You're not sick or anything, right? Disappointed?"

"No." The light changed. "It was really good. I've just been spacing out more than usual."

"Oh." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Steven glance at him, and then open the box on his lap again. He took a minute or so to pick out a chocolate before popping it into his mouth.

"Still good enough that you'd kiss me?" Andrew joked, grinning despite the heartbeat rising into his throat.

Steven laughed: "Definitely. Each one is unique too. Want one?"

"Yeah-"

"Open up." 

Andrew held his breath suddenly, and gripped his steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth a bit, seeing Steven's hand drive its way into Andrew's peripheral vision already, a chocolate trapped between the tips of his fingers. Taking a quick look to his side for a second, he saw Steven's concentrated face staring at his mouth, his own mouth gaped absently. Andrew inhaled further before awkwardly accepting the chocolate.

Steven's fingers barely brushed across his lips as he pulled them away.

"Good?" Steven asked, nonchalant about the entire interaction. Perhaps Andrew was just being a little bit too perceptive. Andrew nodded, letting out the old air he had been holding in his lungs quickly. "See? I'm not just saying that out of my ass."

"Yeah, I'd probably kiss you too," Andrew blurted out, testing the waters just a little too far. Was it even worth it to go this far? He bit his lip, ready to play it off as just an extension of Steven's joke. He refrained from reacting at all when Steven turned to him suddenly with a mischievous smile.

"You would?"

"Sure."

They had driven up to Steven's house already, and were completely stopped beside the sidewalk. Andrew was subconsciously tensed now; anything could happen in this situation. Steven could just leave the car right now and go into his house, and everything would be easily forgotten by tomorrow. That, or now that the car was stopped, being alone in the car with Steven could be  _dangerous_. Andrew didn't try and pry a definition from his brain of what that could've meant.

When Andrew angled his shoulders towards his friend to say goodbye, he found that Steven was frowning accusingly. "You didn't sound serious."

"I-  _what?"_  Andrew completely blanked.

"I can't believe you still remembered that comment I made earlier."

"Of course I did, I-" His mouth was pretty much moving without his permission at this point.

"You...?"

"I dunno. It just stuck in my brain."

"Oh. So you weren't being serious."

"I... I wasn't sure  _you_ were being serious."

"Can't you read a mood?"

"You aren't exactly being Captain Obvious, over here."

"How's this for being serious, then?" Steven held down his chocolate box with one hand, and reached up for Andrew's face with the other. Suddenly, he was sitting up and leaning over the middle compartment between their seats, barely being restricted by his seatbelt. He paused just before he completely reached Andrew's face, stilling to make sure his advance was actually welcome.

"Hmmm, I dunno," Andrew mumbled, smirking. He was staring down at Steven's lips, not even bothering to glance at his eyes to make it every bit more obvious. "Maybe I am just really bad at reading the mood." There was a soft puff of air on his lips, which was a pleasant replacement for Steven's usual bright laughter. 

"Dammit Andrew," Steven whispered, cupping Andrew's cheek with his hand and leaning in slightly more to peck at his lips. Andrew leaned back for another, pressing foreword for slightly longer than before. He held onto the feeling that had blossomed from the simple kiss, letting it expand and wash over his entire body. He didn't quite know when, but his eyes had fluttered closed and his hands were loose and barely clinging onto the steering wheel.

Foreheads pressed together, they separated for a moment. Andrew could feel soft breaths blow onto the surface of his skin as Steven panted lightly, eyes still shut. He didn't move for a while until his thumb brushed over Andrew's cheek again, back and forth.

"That's a first," Steven deadpanned, eyes sparkling when they cracked open as he barely managed to conceal a smile. Andrew snickered, tilting his head away and licking his lips as his shoulders and chest shook from laughter.

"And a second," he added on, Steven giggling at his comment.

"I want thirds," Steven murmured, brushing his bottom lip against the corner of Andrew's, hinting for more. Despite the corners of his mouth upturned into a grin, he obliged, catching Steven's lips with his own. They kissed for a while more like that. One of Andrew's hands even slid off the steering wheel and rested on Steven's thigh, squeezing it slightly.

"I can still taste the chocolate." They had separated again, at peace with what had just happened. Steven had quirked his head at Andrew's comment.

"Are you sure that isn't just leftover chocolate from your own mouth?"

"I dunno... I got a pretty good taste of yours." 

Steven bit his lip and looked down to the side, seeming really happy about something. Andrew's chest swelled with confidence as to how Steven had reacted to his line.

"I should probably go home now," Steven whispered, one hand suddenly on the door handle.

"Y- yeah... you should. I wouldn't want to keep you."

"I- alright, I'll see you tomorrow... then... bye Andrew." Steven leaned over quickly to peck Andrew on the lips again, away as soon as he had come closer. 

"Bye Steven. Stay safe. Have a good night."

Steven nodded. He closed the car door just enough so that it was closed properly. The back of Steven's coat was what Andrew was left staring at, growing gradually smaller as he reached his front porch. Andrew rolled down the passenger side's window and cupped his hands around his mouth.

_"Night babe! Don't forget to text me before you go to sleep!"_  he shouted, his nearly deadpan voice almost comical for the situation. Steven had turned around suddenly, seeming surprised but pleased. He waved slightly before turning around and shutting the front door behind him.

As soon as Steven was out of his sight, Andrew fist pumped and celebrated hastily, composing himself immediately after and rolling up the window and starting up the car again. 

_Worth it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you guys were wondering, if you sent in a prompt, i'm not really doing them in order, mostly because i want to have a good enough idea that will really do the prompt justice :-) 
> 
>  
> 
> also writer's block is being an ass sooooo uhhhhhhh yeha


	3. warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you willing to write something [based off of your winter hcs](https://unsolvedbs.tumblr.com/post/168834262272/christmaswinter-hcs) cause I think Andrew giving Steven his scarf and Steven being so flustered because it smells like Andrew would be so cute" - via Anonymous on tumblr.
> 
> Andrew lends his scarf to Steven, who is freezing his ass off like an idiot, but refuses to return it back to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is it pre established standrew?? idfk take your pick i just needed to write something to get out of my writer's block lol 
> 
> sorry i've been so inactive!! christmas break is slowly rejuvenating me (hopefully)

Steven pouted, letting his shopping bags rest against his legs as he tucked his hands under his armpits for warmth. It was  _ridiculous_  that the sky was already completely dark. His phone had informed him that it was still only 6pm, but he couldn't remember how long ago he had actually checked last, being rather paranoid of his phone dying from the cold.

Changing his weight from foot to foot, Steven tried to think of anything to distract himself from the frigid air slowly but surely chilling him to the bone. It wasn't deathly freezing, but it was still a lot different than the weather in LA, and the windchill was doing nothing to help it.

Both he and Andrew were up in New York again for another  _Worth It_  shoot, and it had unfortunately landed right during Christmas. He didn't know much about Andrew, but at least it didn't bother Steven as much since most of his family was in Malaysia for the holidays anyways.

Andrew had stayed with him throughout the trip. Hell, he had even been Christmas shopping with him just earlier, and was still waiting with him for the bus now. Steven risked a glance over at him, drinking in the way his eyes shined from the streetlight and how snowflakes danced down and landed on his nose and cheeks. His eyes flickered foreword again.

The bus seemed to have been taking  _forever_. They were both stuck at a stop in a quieter residential part of the city, which almost made the isolating area around them just that much colder. There wasn't quite enough snow to blanket the ground, but large snowflakes twirled underneath the spotlight of streetlamps and directly in front of their visions. It would have been rather stunningly beautiful, if not for the fact that the cold kind of made Steven want to die right then and there.

A large shiver suddenly overtook Steven, unpleasantly wracking up his spine. His teeth chattered a bit before he willed himself to somehow stop temporarily.  _Damn his coat for not being warm enough._  He barely noticed out of the corner of his eye how Andrew was peering at him between his hat and his scarf.

"You're cold." It was a statement, muffled by Andrew's scarf, and something hard to respond to. Steven merely nodded.

"The bus is taking a long time," he giggled, laughing unnaturally as if it would somehow warm him up. Andrew stared at him quizzically, but said nothing further. "Maybe something happened."

Andrew freed one of his arms from his coat pocket, shaking it so that the sleeve could reveal the shiny watch on his wrist. "It's only 5 minutes late. It might just be the snow." He shook his arm again and shoved it back into the warmth of his pocket. 

"I hope it doesn't take any longer, or I'll probably freeze to death," Steven muttered, tensing as he huddled into himself. He barely noticed how Andrew was stepping towards him.

Andrew was slowly unraveling the scarf around his neck. His gloves swatted Steven's hood so that it fell back, then taking his own scarf to wrap hook around Steven. Steven felt his own breath catch when he realized that this motion had made Andrew accidentally pull Steven towards him if just slightly. Before he could be pulled any closer, however, Andrew wrapped the loose ends of the scarf around him so that they were snug against the lower half of his face. The fibers of his glove brushed against Steven's skin as Andrew tried to adjust the fabric so that Steven could breath. Tugging Steven's hood back on, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"You didn't have to do that," Steven mumbled, eyes awkwardly flickering between Andrew's face and the ground.

Andrew shrugged. "I'm already warm enough. Plus I have a hat and a better coat." He flicked one of the earflaps of his trapper hat and zipped up his coat all the way. The fur lining his hat seemed really warm, so Steven stopped worrying as much. His cheeks were growing pink the longer they were exposed to the wind though.

Every time Steven took a deep breath in, he was surrounded by the overwhelming scent of  _Andrew_. The strange mixture of his sweat and his cologne filled Steven's nose. It was almost addicting. Every inhale, Steven found himself needing more, as if the memory of the scent was fleeting and left every time he wasn't breathing in. The fact that his head was even starting to feel light because of it was utterly embarrassing, considering Andrew himself was standing right beside him. Instead, he closed his eyes and let himself bask in the moment and forget that there even was a late bus that they were still waiting for.

"Hey, Steven," Andrew bumped his shoulder, startling his eyes back open again. "The bus is finally here." Lo and behold, about a block away, Steven could barely see a bus round a corner and approach them.

"Oh, shit, you're right." His limbs felt like they hadn't been moved in ages as he tried to grab his bags, fumbling them in one hand as he tried to find a bus pass with the other. Steven shuffled behind Andrew, teetering slightly as his mind reeled over the fact he had completely forgotten about the cold simply because he was wearing Andrew's scarf.

Nodding quickly to the bus driver, he followed Andrew to the back of the bus, scooting over so that he was right up against him. Steven dropped all of his bags to his feet before lying back with a sigh as the bus started foreword again. He let the warmth of the bus wash over him, grateful that he could warm up all of his limbs before he even had to step outside again.

Subconsciously, Steven nuzzled into Andrew's scarf, sliding down his seat to get slightly more comfortable. He was honestly ready to sleep right there and then, the darkness outside his window further convincing him to do so.

"What are you doing?" Andrew asked, a lilt of amusement evident in his voice.

"I'm exhausted. Our stop isn't for a while."

"These bus seats certainly seem like they offer first-class grade quality."

"Shut up. I'm warm and you're comfortable." To prove his point, Steven grinned snuggled right up against Andrew, nudging his head right up against Andrew's arm. He could feel Andrew's body move as he chuckled, but didn't do anything to push him off. So Steven stayed.

This moment was undeniably one of Steven's memories up to date. There was an incomparable sense of comfort sitting hazy around the scene, and the combinations of the bus wheels, Andrew breathing, and Andrew's scent were easy enough to begin to lull him to sleep. With a tiny  _thump_ , Andrew's head rested on top of his, giving in to the tranquility of their environment. Feeling a sense of happiness flicker and expand in his chest, Steven grinned, burrowing further into the fabric of his scarf.

Steven had definitely lost track of the time, as Andrew evidently had as well, because suddenly, Andrew had jerked up without any warning to mutter a few curses as he tugged at the stop request.  Blinking, Steven glanced around with alarm, standing up with his friend and trying to collect all of his belongings.

"Thank god I realized on time," Andrew muttered under his breath, sliding down the bus aisle and hopping out of the bus. Steven followed suit, almost slipping on a patch of ice on the curb before grabbing at Andrew's coat sleeve. Sheepishly, he grinned up at him in thanks.

"I think you just have an insane sense of intuition," Steven hummed, grateful that Andrew had realized on time and they didn't have to walk the extra few blocks to their hotel in the cold. Instead, they only had to speed-walk a few steps directly into the entrance of their hotel before they were yet again welcomed with a burst of warm air. Steven noticed how Andrew immediately loosened his own coat, but Steven still left his scarf where it was.

"Maybe so," he was grinning, "Otherwise your ass would definitely freeze to death without me."

Too cold to construct a conversation, they silently moved to the elevator to go up to their rooms. Steven vaguely noticed how thin and stretched some of the handles his bags had gotten due to his grip and the weight of some of his buys. Glancing at Andrew, he studied him for a few seconds before looking back at his bags. Andrew had only been staring absently into space.

Once they were back in their room, they took the liberty to finally throw their bags down and flop down onto their respective beds. Or at least Steven did. Observing from his position on his bed, Steven saw Andrew yawn and rub his eyes as he moved to go turn on the radio. Bing Crosby's  _White Christmas_  filtered softly through the speakers. Steven sighed and closed his eyes.

"You can't go to sleep yet," Andrew teased, poking him so that Steven would open his eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do," he muttered grumpily into his scarf. He could hear peals of laughter echo around the room as Andrew moved away to do something else. Letting a tiny smile crack, Steven rolled over to watch Andrew rummage through his own bags. "What are you doing?"

"I still gotta wrap some presents."

"What?" Steven propped himself up on his elbows. "What about when we were at that gift wrapping station? Where I wrapped mine?"

"I got distracted," Andrew admitted, "Don't look over here."

"Okay~" he singsonged, rolling back over to close his eyes. Steven would have been perfectly content to nap a little until Andrew was done, but then Andrew started singing to  _It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas_  on the radio and he was enchanted.

Steven resisted the temptation to sit up and watch him, and instead concentrated on the low dips of Andrew's voice as he mocked whoever was currently singing. He concentrated on how he would stupidly mumble a jumble of vowels when he didn't know the words to a line, or how he'd hum the tune itself when there weren't any words to sing to. Every once in a while Steven could hear the rustling of wrapping paper and the ripping of tape.

There were a few soft thumps on the bed beside Steven's legs, and even a package of sorts that rolled up against him. "I'm done."

Steven blinked open his eyes and craned his neck back to stare at his friend. "Already?"

"You still haven't gotten out of your coat yet," Andrew tugged at the scarf wrapped around Steven's neck. Steven took a few seconds to process that Andrew had already stripped down to an ugly sweater and jeans. 

"It was nice and warm still," Steven pouted, unbuttoning his coat but leaving his scarf. "How about we only open one gift from each other now? It seems kind of pointless to do all of them considering you just went through the effort to wrap all of those."

"Not all of them are for you," Andrew smirked, "But sounds like a deal-  _hey_ , what are you doing?" He looked at Steven in bewilderment as Steven picked himself up off of his own bed and began to make himself comfortable on Andrew's.

"Your bed is directly in front of the TV."

"So...?"

"It's easier for me to see."

"I-"

"You?"

Andrew was staring at him with a conflicted expression. Steven couldn't quite figure out what it was before he wiped it away with a smile, turning around to grab a smaller bag from the counter.

"Nothing."

"... Okay, sure. I get to pick the movie." 

"We can both equally pick the movie."

"Not if you don't get here in the next 10 seconds." Andrew rolled his eyes at Steven's statement, yet nevertheless rushed over and practically leaped over Steven's legs. Crawling up to where his friend was, he threw a soft package over to him, slipping underneath the covers and placing the open bag between them. Completely settled in, Andrew picked a chocolate from the open bag in between them and grabbed the remote from the nightstand on his side.

"Why are you still wearing my scarf?"

"It's warm. And soft."

"Whatever. Are you good with the Grinch?"

"Yeah, sure." 

Steven curled up in his spot, reaching for Andrew's present on the nightstand near him before tossing it over to him. The recipient almost dropped the remote to catch it. Steven laughed, but Andrew just rolled his eyes and veered his concentration back to the television screen. Scanning his face a few times, Steven let himself watch the muscles in Andrew's face relax before also going back to the movie.

It was calming to watch Andrew. Sure, the movie was good and all, but Steven would be admittedly just as content to watch his friend. It sounded ridiculous, but he could honestly never get enough at staring at his handsome build or tiny features and let his mind wander...

"Are you even watching?" Andrew asked. He was still staring at the screen, but there was a tiny sense of frustration in his voice. 

"Yes..." Steven drawled out. 

He turned his head towards him. "No you aren't."

"I'm still listening."

"What are you even doing?"

 _Risky, but Steven was tired enough to do it anyways._ "Watching you."

"Hmm, really?" Andrew seemed amused, if anything, and turned back to the movie again.

"What? Do you not mind?" Steven shifted over to poke him gently. Andrew swatted at him.

"Not particularly, no."

"So I can look at you all I want then?"

"I guess." They were silent for a few minutes, letting the movie play. "Why do you  _still_ have my scarf on?"

"I like it."

"... Open up your present."

Steven gave him a questioning look, but lifted the package from his lap and started unwrapping it as carefully as possible. The entire package was rather small, but very soft. He noted how even though it only seemed semi-presentable, there had still been quite a bit of effort put into the wrapping of it - especially considering how much scotch tape Steven had to get around. Pulling out his present, he brushed off any excess paper on his lap onto the floor.

" _Wow_ ," was all Steven could manage, turning his gifts around to better examine them. There was a very warm-looking pair of wool mittens, and a very warm-looking pair of earmuffs. They were both a light gray that nicely complimented his entire aesthetic, and the insides were lined with something fuzzy and soft.

"You're always complaining to me how cold you are," Andrew teased rather fondly. He popped another chocolate into his mouth.

"I- wow, they're so nice, Andrew. I really like them." Steven took the time to put everything on, despite how cozy the hotel room already was. 

"You're welcome. And the scarf?"

"What?"

"Are you keeping it?"

"Huh?"

"At this point it doesn't look like you're going to give it back."

"If you really want it back I-"

Andrew shook his head. "No it's fine. I have plenty of other nice scarves at home. You can keep it too; it looks better on you anyways." Andrew was already staring back at the movie, but Steven hid what was showing of his cheeks with his mittens anyhow, trying to make their growing hot feeling go away.

"You can open up yours too, but I feel like mine won't live up to its expectation anymore."

Andrew was grinning as he picked up his own gift. "Mine wasn't extraordinary. I'd be happy with anything you got me." He carefully unwrapped his own parcel. It was a slightly easier task than what Steven had faced since it was wrapped at an actual wrapping station, but Andrew still seemed to be taking care of not tearing any of the paper. Unearthing a nice thermal coffee mug, Andrew rotated it to get a good look at everything and even opened the lid to see some of the coffee beans the cafe was selling.

"I saw you eyeing some of the stuff earlier when we got the limited-edition drinks," Steven offered his explanation, fidgeting as he awaited his friend's response.

"That's... unexpectedly thoughtful of you," Andrew murmured.

"Hey! Are you insinuating that I'm not usually thoughtful?"

"No-"

"I'm very thoughtful."

"Alright. Uh, thanks Steven. I really like it."

"You're welcome."

"You.... really won't stop staring at me, will you? Are you even paying attention to the movie anymore?"

"No." His voice was light and teasing. He pulled off his mitts and earmuffs to set them aside on the nightstand again.

"C'mere, then. You're distracting me."

Willingly, Steven crawled over so that he was situated right over Andrew's lap, blocking any further view of the television screen. Andrew didn't seem to mind anyhow, grinning lazily right back up to him. He unraveled the scarf around Steven once before using the fabric to tug Steven down to him.

" _Hey there,_ " Andrew murmured, his voice suddenly quite a few decibels lower than it usually was, which was impressive and incredibly hot. "Are your lips cold? Cause I'd love to try and warm them up."

"That was horrible."

"Thanks. I try."

"Hm, well, I suppose you can." Steven moved his hand over to cup his hand around Andrew's cheek, lightly brushing some of his stubble with his thumb. He heard Andrew stutter a sigh, but the muscles in his cheeks tensed a bit more as he smirked. Steven lowered himself so that he was barely hovering over Andrew's face, letting Andrew complete his own request by tugging Steven all the way down onto his own lips.

The first few kisses were light, barely brushing over each other's lips. Andrew scooted back up against the headboard, Steven following his lips. Suddenly, there were hands on his hips, fingers tightening at the hem of his shirt and lifting it ever so slightly. Steven snaked his free arm around Andrew, pulling at the nape of his neck to press their bodies together. 

Their kisses progressed to be slightly firmer, slightly needier, and with slightly more intention. Steven knew it was quick, but with Andrew's responsiveness, he couldn't help but kiss deeper and even let his mouth slip open as he gasped. Andrew's hands were slipping underneath the fabric of his shirt, warming his skin at his touch. His heartbeat felt like it was rising, warming up and tightening his entire chest. He was honestly  _dizzy_ with feeling.

Shifting slightly, Steven moved to sit comfortably on Andrew's thighs. The teasing of friction was enough to entertain him for now, and it made him arch his back into the kiss anyways, pressing up against Andrew's firmer chest. Slipping one of his arms down, he slid it underneath the sweater Andrew was wearing, running his hand over his stomach, feeling how the muscles moved and every desperate breath he took. Everything underneath his sweater was burning warm, and Steven sought out to absorb as much heat as he could with his hand. Fingers on the small of his back rubbed circles into his skin.

Just before his wandering hand could become too curious, the firm hold on his waist twisted him around so that he was laying on his back on his side of the bed again. Andrew pushed himself up off of Steven again, letting his lips linger for a few seconds just to prolong the moment. He pecked Steven on the nose quickly before completely getting off and relaxing back on his side of the bed.

"Watch the movie you big dork." Andrew reached between the pillows and pulled out the chocolate bag, popping a random one into his mouth.

"You're just teasing me."

"Merry Christmas, Steven."

Steven grinned, snuggling up further into the duvet and letting his concentration fall to the television screen. He wrapped the scarf barely hanging off his shoulders back around his neck, adjusting it so that it still lightly covered his nose. Inhaling, he was pleased to be greeted with the same scent of Andrew he had encountered thus far in the evening.

"And a happy new year," Steven murmured, voice muffled by Andrew's scarf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how it got this long idfk dont ask me i thought it was going to be like 200 words lmao. 
> 
> editing who
> 
> also why do all of these end up with kiss scenes al;ksdjfkladj;f do you guys actually want anything else please tell me (i have a lot of prompts but??? im still clueless Help Ya Ace Fam Out)


	4. three buzzedketeers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the worth it bois can get pretty chatty when tipsy  
>  _canonverse near the end of the cocktail episode_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol so this is a """"""warmup""""""" aka im so busy and instead of doing anything i actually needed to do (like mercy or [spring brings primrose](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14497545/chapters/33491235) (my Actual standrew fic go check it out ;-) ) or actual schoolwork or even all of the prompts in my inbox lmao... anyways please forgive me its just like all fluff and relatively platonic, but take it any way you want... also completely unbetad and mostly unedited im so sorry its like 2am...
> 
> this was completely based off [this commission my dear friend raakx did](http://raakxhyr.tumblr.com/post/173784304742/finished-a-commission-of-the-three-foodketeers-for) please go and love it with all of your heart ty

"I'm fine!" Steven shouted, clearly  _not_ fine.

"You're drunk," Adam pointed out, watching Steven stumble over a curb.  _It was probably a bad idea for Matt to have parked so far away._  Andrew barely caught Steven's elbow before he tumbled into a gutter.

"You've only had like... three half-drinks," Andrew scolded, barely concealing a smile. "Or however else much you had from that scorpion bowl too," he added hastily. 

"I might be a little  _tipsy_ ," Steven beamed, leaning into Andrew's touch. "I'm allowed to have fun, aren't I?"

"No one said you weren't allowed to," Adam mumbled. 

Andrew pushed Steven off of himself, directing him to Adam's direction instead. "I really wonder how you didn't break those fancy Adam glasses back there...  _no wait_... I mean  _owl glasses_. Okay, but  _to be fair_ , they kind of reminded me of you, Adam."

"Haha,  _Adam glasses_."

"Did you mean those $600 glasses?" Adam smiled, somehow juggling all of his equipment to stop Steven's momentum towards him. " _You_ can't hold your tongue very well intoxicated."

"I love you, Adam, but that's the meanest thing you've ever said to me," Andrew simpered, and Adam scoffed at his remark. "Plus Steven's the one whose acting like he's five."

"When does he not act like that?"

"Point taken," Andrew sniggered, holding out his arm to block any half-assed swings Steven was throwing at him. 

"I can be mature," he pouted, crossing his arms stubbornly. He walked out in front of Andrew, mindlessly wandering down the dark street.

"Then what was this earlier?" Andrew asked, running up to him and starting to poke him. He originally aimed for a soft prod at his face, but then attacked his shoulder, and then tasering his sides. Steven squirmed and giggled underneath his touch, vaguely trying to poke him back. "How about this?"

" _You guys didn't even have that much to drink,_ " Adam sighed, mostly to himself. Trailing after them, he had to pull the two of them back in the right direction again to the car.

Steven suddenly stopped, lounging across a bench they passed. There were still residual wheezes coming from him from Andrew's attack, but his head was lolled all the way to the back, as if he was ready to pass out from exhaustion in any second. Both Adam and Andrew stood in front of him, waiting for him to get up again.

"I don't think I'll be able to stand up ever again," Steven finally said.

"Don't be a drama queen," Andrew chided, crossing his arms. "We'll leave you here. I doubt either of us would be able to bring you back to the car."

Adam began to take off his backpack with all of his recording equipment. "Wanna bet?"

"Holy shit." Instead of arguing, Andrew picked up all of the equipment Adam was shedding, watching his every movement with awe. Grabbing his phone out, Andrew began recording the absolute miracle that was happening before him.

Though Steven squirmed in his grasp at first, Adam somehow managed to get a good hold of him and threw Steven on his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Steven was laughing uncontrollably throughout the entire ordeal, which became impossibly funnier with Adam's stoic and unmoving face. Rising from a squatting stance as if he was lifting weights, Adam continued to walk back to the car with Steven slumped on his back. Andrew started to lose it as he followed them, barely able to move as he laughed. 

"The boys are back!" Steven shouted. "Back again!"

Andrew ran out in front of the two of them, walking backwards so he could effectively film the entire ordeal. "Backstreet's back,  _alright! Duh, nah nah nah..._ "

" _Nuh nuh nuh, nuh..._ " Steven slurred, voice bouncing with Adam's every step. Andrew was shaking with laughter, and he doubted that any of the content he recorded on his phone would be even slightly usable for the episode. Though Adam was flushed from all the exercise, he continued to push on all the way back to Matt's car. Andrew couldn't help but be terrified but also utterly in awe of Adam from then on.

By the time they found the car, Steven was obnoxiously singing what he could remember of the Walmart Yodeling Kid song, earning strange looks from passerbys. Even though Adam did his best to crouch down and ease Steven down, Steven still somehow managed to roll off his friend rather ungracefully and almost fell flat on his ass. Once all of the recording equipment had been either handed to Adam or placed in the trunk, Andrew took up the responsibility of shoving Steven all the way into the middle backseat of the car.

"It's so warm in here," Steven commented, already calming down considerably from earlier.

"You sat in the middle on all of the other trips, so of course you're going to sit there this time round." Andrew slammed his own door shut, struggling to get his seatbelt on. As soon as he heard the telltale click, he patted Steven's knee once before relaxing back.

A rather thoughtful frown graced Steven's lips. His eyes were just a bit glazed over with exhaustion, and he stared off absently to the roof of the car. "I never said I disliked it."

"You're drunk," Adam repeated himself from earlier, shutting his own door. "But you also feel really warm," he added, leaning against Steven's shoulder.

"Are my boys just cold?" he asked to no one in particular, worming his arms around both of his friends' shoulders, pulling them closer to his body. His actions earned him a few chuckles before they squirmed their way out of Steven's grasp. Matt pulled out of the parking space and merged back onto the main street.

"I know I say that I don't drink to get drunk," Steven said as he watched Andrew try and set up a camera in the car, "But I really do like the... the  _atmosphere_ it gives me."

"Explain," Andrew murmured. His eyes stayed concentrated on his task, only half listening to Steven's ramblings.

"Like... when you can first feel the alcohol enter your bloodstream?"

"You're probably just imagining that."

"But like... how everything feels  _fuzzy_ and  _warm_ and  _raw_ and  _emotional_. I like that." Steven's eyes were wide, almost as if they were filled with wonder of his own discovery. "I also like how your words seem to slip more easier," he tacked on, poking Andrew's side.

" _More easier,_ " Adam mocked, not bothering to even try and correct him.

"God, I hate you two," Andrew huffed, swatting away Steven's hand as he adjusted the camera.

"I'm too cute to be hated," Steven whined, cuddling up against Andrew as he sat back down completely. After being pushed away, he leaned against Adam instead. "At least Adam loves me."

"Are you going to be alright for the last part of the episode?" Andrew asked him seriously. "As your friend, I'm just saying you might not be in the best condition to effectively film the end."

Steven straightened, suddenly perking up. "Oh yeah! The rest of the episode!"

"Sometimes I seriously worry about this show," Adam muttered.

"Are you good now, Steven?"

"Perfect, thank you, my  _dear friend, homie, bro-_ "

"I'm going to stop you right there."

"Just try not to run your mouth, Ilnyckyj."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "I'll try not to."

Their professionalism easily came back to them once the camera began rolling again.

_Or for the most part, at least._

* * *

 

_"Ten pound!"_

_"Yeah."_

_"Wow."_

_"Ten pounds... of pleasure... per square... minute... of being there."_

Steven and Adam had to do everything in their power to not absolutely lose it then and there.


	5. i didnt know prince charming was a blocker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "volleyball au? (standrew ofc)" - via Anonymous on tumblr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...... yeah its 10k words let me _BE_
> 
> i actually impulsively wrote this because smash (bigass volleyball tournament at my school) happened last friday and i was hyped and i remembered a prompt i got like a year ago and this... just spiraled out of control lol. please forgive me
> 
> this is also unbetad/unedited cause its midnight and im behind on everything so uh yeah oof
> 
> oh and if youre hesitant about sports... well lets just say theres a... locker room scene at the end for people that are patient ;-) ~~just look in the tags lol~~

Bright white lights coupled with the shuttering flashes of cameras blinded Steven’s vision, allowing him to gaze in amazement at the court out in front of him. The gymnasium — no,  _ stadium  _ — was grander than anything he’d ever been in before, and it absolutely stole the breath away from him.

He could have felt nervous, sure, and perhaps that was why his arms were shaking and his knees felt like they were about to give out at any second, but all he could feel was pure  _ bliss _ . Nothing could quell the pure excitement coursing through his body, edging him further forward on his toes. 

With a squeak of his sneakers, Steven stepped onto the court, instantly bombarded with enamoured cheers. Happiness flooded him like a shiver up his spine. Beaming, he reached out his arm and waved to the crowd.

The mirage of that dream disappeared like smoke with a rough pat to his back, throwing him forward and making him stumble. Balancing himself, he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes.

“Sleeping time is over, Steve,” one of his teammates teased him, shoving Steven to the side again to lose the little balance he had managed to collect. He joined them laughing, trying to shake away the sluggishness his microsleep had brought him. “You can’t be tired now, can you?”

“I’m not tired,” Steven waved off, “I just got lost in thought.”

“You gotta get your head in the game,” his friend Ryan encouraged him, already bubbling with excitement as he bounced on the balls of his feet. 

Steven rolled his eyes. “We haven’t even started playing yet.” He paused, briefly eyeing the costume Ryan sported. “And… I still can’t believe how stupid you look in that.”

Taking mock offence, Ryan immediately struck a pose. “Well at least I look better than  _ you _ .”

He scoffed. Tugging at the puffy shirt he had on, Steven highly doubted someone dressed as the goddamn Queen from Snow White could possibly look better than him as Prince Charming. The deep purple robes swirled around Ryan’s ankles, fabric almost too short because of the breadth of his shoulders.

“Well at least I don’t look like I have a purple foreskin over my head with a crown on top.” One of the dwarfs (Bashful? Steven couldn’t remember) beside him absolutely lost his mind at Steven’s observation, and Ryan had to stifle his own laughter.

Riled up, Ryan swivelled to the tall blocker standing in line next to him, aggressively staring at his chest. “Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the  _ prettiest of them all _ ?”

“I must say you’re quite girth-y, my Queen,” the mirror deadpanned, and Ryan looked absolutely betrayed.

“Well at least I’m not a prince that wears volleyball shorts and knee pads under my tunic.”

“We’re playing the opening game,” Steven reminded him. “I need to change quickly.”

“Coward.”

“Hey, I look  _ great  _ like this.”

The subject was dropped when a band started playing from inside the gymnasium, each player intently tuning into their surroundings to figure out what was going on. From what he could hear, the hosts that would lead their team to the gym were informing them that the band would do a set, a video would play, and then they’d be introduced to the tournament.

Time passed almost too quickly, and Steven was soon ushered by the dwarf who insisted they were called Horny to move, following the precession of volleyball players that were to enter the gym. Stumbling forward again, he steadied himself against Ryan, taking a deep breath as he heard someone announce their school and team name from within the gymnasium.

The doors opened, and instead of being greeted with the bright lights that had accompanied his little daydream from earlier, the entire room was filled with darkness, only illuminated by screens and the spotlights in the centre of the court. Students in the bleachers and seated on the floor were cheering (slightly feebly, but Steven couldn’t blame them — why would you cheer for a school you barely know about?), and their entire team was thrust into the confines of the tournament.

Apparently their costume choices received extra attention as loud whoops and laughs from the crowd echoed around the walls. He had to admit, their team captain did look funny with the badly fitted and cheap Snow White dress and wig he had on, and perhaps his own volleyball shorts under his tunic and red cape were just a bit ridiculous. Beside him, Ryan was eagerly waving to the students, holding his crown in place as they followed their hosts around.

Just to play up the show a bit, the team captain ran up to Steven and picked him up bridal-style, encouraging loud cheers from the crowd and earning a few hoots from the other teams that had already been sat down as he ran ahead and to the centre of the spotlight. Steven was only placed back on his feet when the next school’s team name was announced.

Because he was one of the veterans of the varsity team, both he and Ryan sat closer to the front near their hosts, allowing them front-row seats to the rest of the school teams walking in. Across the court, he could make out all the varsity women’s teams, chatting and laughing and gaping at the display the host school had put on for them. It was, after all, rather impressive.

Not too long after all the other participating schools in the tournament were seated were all the varsity players of the host school introduced, running into the gymnasium one by one. As each of their names were announced, short clips of various plays they’d made in past games flashed on the projector screens as they came dashing out with their costumes. 

Steven was already getting lost in thought again. The darkness provided greater contrast around him, but only the screams and cheers of the other students kept him grounded, dazedly watching the host school’s varsity women’s team sit down. He barely processed the crowd get slightly louder as the varsity men were called to the gymnasium. 

Some of their costumes were interesting to look at, but as they got to the veterans, Steven grew bored when he realized they simply wore tracksuits. After a veteran or two, he let his attention stray to one of the projector screens.

As if on cue, the screen changed again, pausing on a profile picture of a player. Right underneath his handsome grin, a subheading introduced him as  _ Andrew Ilnyckyj - #8 _ . Steven was almost amazed that the announcers were able to pronounce his last name with no hesitation — they had either practiced, or this  _ Andrew  _ was simply popular at this school (and to be honest, Steven couldn’t see a reason why he wouldn’t).

The cheer for Andrew’s introduction was nothing special compared to the rest of the team, but the boy’s entrance certainly caught Steven’s attention the most. 

His gait was nothing rowdy like his teammates before him, but rather regal instead. It wasn’t that he seemed stuck up; if anything, the kind smile and the slow wave made him look a bit bashful if anything, if not for his hardened eyes. His tracksuit drowned his figure though, and he wasn’t particularly tall, so Steven didn’t really know why he had such an avid fascination in the boy. The plays on the screen weren’t detailed enough to be able to properly determine his skill in playing volleyball either.

Almost completely ignoring the following players, Steven kept an eye on that Andrew, watching him stop right in front of Steven’s team and wait for the rest of his own team to be introduced. Andrew held his arms behind his back as if he truly was some sort of prince (Steven was somewhat tempted to just offer his own red cape to this Andrew), listening as one of his teammates leaned over and spoke to him.

Steven’s attention drifted once again throughout the opening ceremony. Only the backs of the host varsity men’s team were visible, so Steven concentrated on the events unfolding in front of them all instead. The school spirit was actually rather contagious, and he even found himself cheering at the various hip-hop dance groups, the drum battle, and even a drum line. There was so much hype (that was probably a lot more intense to the students of the school, as the performers were all students and teachers they knew) that he could feel the anticipation for the tournament again, leaning against Ryan as he lost it when the teachers danced the shoot and then whipped. 

The opening ceremony ended up being over sooner than he knew it. Steven was suddenly being ushered to the side as they turned to gymnasium lights back on, the entire room shifting as they got ready for the opening game.

“C’mon, Steven,” Ryan murmured, tugging him along. “Don’t you still have to change into your jersey?”

“Yeah just… gimme a second,” Steven grunted, standing up and brushing the dust off his legs. 

Glancing up again, he realized that pretty much all of the other players were standing up and leaving too now, crowding around him to flood the exits. He almost missed the sight of Andrew a few meters away, staring directly at him.

Steven was almost too tired to react. The ceremony was a little mentally draining even if it was meant to hype up the school for the opening game, so his mind was having a bit of trouble catching up with his actions. All he could do was stare back at Andrew, gaping at him for literally no reason he could come up with. 

Realizing that he was the one with the odd getup, Steven smirked and swished his cape, adding in an extra wink for the hell of it. He watched Andrew’s eyes widen and then glance down, drinking in the volleyball shorts and knee pads Steven was wearing with his costume. To his delight, Andrew tried to stifle a laugh, the smile reaching up to his eyes.

_ God _ , Steven was already so  _ gone  _ for this kid. Hell, he barely knew what kind of a person Andrew was, yet here he stood, absolutely enamoured by such a rare smile.

“You can do all the looking you want later,” Ryan chastised him, tugging Steven away to the side. “For now, you have a game you have to concentrate on.”

Steven rolled his eyes. “ _ Concentrate _ ? I’m always ready.”

“If you fuck up in-game, then, I’m going to personally kick your ass.”

The tunic and cape were off and tossed onto the bench quite quickly, and Steven didn’t even have to think about reaching for his own jersey. His jersey was like a second skin to him — comfortable and always on his back whether he won or lost a game. He wore his colours and his number proudly on the court, determined to play at his peak every match.

Stretches and warm-ups were great for getting into that groove again, calming what little nerves he had from the smaller students screaming over candy being thrown into the crowds. They weren’t paying attention to him now, but he knew all eyes would be on him at least a few times during the match.

Whatever. His concentration was drawn back to practice as he dove for a ball, smoothly managing to get an arm between it and the floor. Steven was up on his feet in a second, handing his ball to whoever was tossing it to the setter. He steeled himself to only think about the game and what the outcome was going to be, allowing himself to be in tune with his entire body and how it moved and felt right then.

It wasn’t as if it was a difficult task. Once his palm was stinging with the satisfaction of a good hit, it became addicting. Steven’s very soul buzzed, desperate to be playing the game already. Bouncing the ball a few times against the vinyl floor, and held it in his hands for a few moments longer before tossing it up, making sure that his serves were still in check. The second it slammed onto the court opposite of the net did the referee’s whistle blow, ushering them back to their benches to speak with their coach.

Luckily, Steven was to be on the starting line. Because of his height, he was placed as a middle blocker for now, but it was something that he was happy with. Ryan was also on the starting line with him, staying back in a more defensive position. 

As they lined up on the court, each team facing the net, some teacher that was commentating began to introduce the specific players on each starting lineup. In his absorption, Steven had almost forgotten that they were still in the eyes of almost the entire host school, being cheered on as his name was called. He flashed the audience a winning grin, waving lazily.

When the commentator moved onto the next team, Steven’s focus immediately zeroed onto Andrew.  _ Andrew _ . He was apparently on his team’s starting lineup too,  _ huh _ . Andrew still held that same stoic manner he had about him earlier, but… his  _ arms _ , oh my  _ god  _ Steven couldn’t stop staring at his arms.

Andrew had actually looked smaller underneath his tracksuit, but man oh man had that been deceiving. Though he was a bit shorter than Steven, he sure was stocky. He seemed to have been given the same defensive position Ryan had, as he did not sport the libero’s jersey. Steven had half a mind to wonder what it would be like trying to receive a spike or serve from arms like those.

He must have noticed Steven looking at some point, because his eyes flashed dangerously and he smirked again. Andrew ran a hand back through his hair that was already falling out of its place, and Steven was convinced that he was just toying with him at this point.

Again, he was thumped in the shoulder by a teammate. “Let’s go, Steven. Can’t start the game if you’re not where you’re supposed to be.”

Steven blinked. He had barely realized that everyone else was moving to their spots now, Ryan fetching a volleyball to play the first serve. There was very little nervousness lining his expression; he seemed more determined than anything. Taking a deep breath, Steven went to stand by the tall net, arms up and waiting for the play to start.

Maybe he was a little nervous… who wouldn’t be? What about Ryan, pressured to make at the very least a half-decent serve to start the opening game of such a large tournament in a foreign school where almost the entire crowd was cheering for your rival. Wiggling his fingers, Steven decided perhaps he’d play out of spite rather than anything.

Line of sight drifting to the other side of the net, Steven peered around the other team’s setter, seeing Andrew crouched and ready to receive Ryan’s serve. Steven had to stop imagining how he’d look from other angles, instead focusing on the tensing of his leg and arm muscles and how his concentration never wavered from where Ryan probably stood on the court.

Steven almost completely missed the first play. Ryan must have turned all of his own nerves into cockiness as his first serve slammed onto the other side of the court, just making it over the net. Andrew’s team lagged behind in reacting, which was then emphasized by their coach shouting at them to wake up. Steven absently cheered for his best friend, bashing himself for not reacting either. At least it had landed on the court opposite to where Andrew was waiting.

There were some cheers from their own team, but other than that there was only disappointment from the spectators and commentator, which Steven’s team had to quickly brush off in order to celebrate their own little achievement. Nonetheless, Steven shook himself mentally and redid his stance, hoping to actually concentrate this time.

The second serve Ryan made sailed equally as successfully over the net, but the other team’s libero managed to get an arm underneath the ball. Once the ball was back in the air, everyone instantly shifted, moving around on their feet to get into position for an attack. Steven’s eyes darted around, trying his best to predict where the setter would place the ball.

With just his luck, the setter chose the striker right in front of Steven. Steven barely had time to jump and get his fingers over the net, tipping and changing the trajectory of the ball as he communicated his achievement to the rest of his team. They all moved between shouts and calls, their setter tossing the volleyball right into the palm of the striker next to Steven. Though Andrew had dived for it, the ball barely missed his fingers, and the point was set in stone with the whistle of the referee. 

As Steven landed on back on his feet, his gaze flitted down, staring down to where Andrew lay with his arm outstretched. It was as if time itself had paused around them, letting Andrew raise his head like he was underwater and lock eyes with Steven, trying their best to size each other up. Almost identical and competitive grins spread across their faces, lighting a newfound determination inside them. Andrew stood back up and turned to actually share words of encouragement with his teammates, snapping Steven out of the weird trance he had fallen into. He was in immediate danger of falling back into one while listening to the deeper bellows of Andrew’s voice, but he glanced back at Ryan again instead to distract himself.

Ryan eventually flubbed up one of his serves, the ball almost beheading Steven as it caught itself in the net. They continued to encourage Ryan and say that they could bring it back, but Steven was more intrigued to see that Andrew was the one to be taking the serve next. 

Something radiated  _ ‘powerful’  _ from Andrew. He stood at the other end of the court, bouncing the volleyball against the floor and calmly analyzing everything in front of him. The students in the crowd were chanting something encouraging, but Steven almost felt trapped under the sweeping gaze of the server, anticipating what he would do with his serve.

Finally tossing the ball up above him, Andrew took a few running steps and jumped magnificently in the air, hand meeting with the surface of the ball in an epic hit, arm following through as the ball rushed through the air and across the court with near the same armpower Ryan possessed. He landed like a cat back into the play, and the ball bounced off the very edge of the court on Steven’s side.

Cheers echoed around the gymnasium, the crowd absolutely going wild at Andrew’s serve. Steven almost envied the firepower he had, knowing fully well that his own strengths laid in his height and jumping. Still, as humble as ever, Andrew only smiled as his teammates slapped him in the back. 

His eyes glinted as they met with Steven’s once again, smile turning slightly competitive once again as he caught the volleyball being tossed his way for another serve. Steven bristled, annoyed but definitely excited that Andrew truly was a force to be reckoned with.

“I don’t care what I do, but I’m going to get back at number eight somehow,” Steven muttered aloud, and his setter chuckled beside him. 

“So is that going to be on or off the court?”

“Shut  _ up _ , Ben. He’s going to serve.”

The next few plays definitely determined that both teams were quite equally matched. Steven could tell that the crowd recognized the game as stressful as well, desperately cheering on their own school and becoming silently worried every time Steven’s team scored a point. Every time one team pulled ahead, they’d fall behind again and become even. By the time they both reached twenty-two points, everyone was slightly short of breath and running purely on adrenaline.

One of the coaches ended up calling a timeout, beckoning for the entire team to have some water and listen to what they had to say about the game so far. Of course tensions would be high: being able to snag the first set would mean stealing the confidence for a win, and with how neck-and-neck each team was, it would prove to be a difficult task. 

Steven was back in the front again when the whistle blew, watching someone from the other team serve the ball back into play. He felt like he was moving through a blur, all aches and firey breaths forgotten as he shifted around, receiving the ball with slight difficulty in the direction of their setter. The ball floated into the air, soaring over Steven’s head to the spiker beside him. They managed to get a relatively decent contact with the ball, but it wasn’t quite enough to score them a point. The libero on the other team scooped the ball into the air, and their setter had the decency to fucking tip the ball over the net before Steven could get to it. 

The crowd roared, and Steven pushed down the unsettling dread that was crawling up his stomach. It was only one point, not to mention the first set, but he felt like if they didn’t step it up soon, they were going to lose the entire game. 

Not like their situation was getting any better, as the other team had rotated quite nicely and it was Andrew’s turn once again to serve. Steven almost glared at him, egging him on and hoping that his serve wouldn’t make it.

But it did. Not only did the serve place itself nicely on the court, but even though Ryan was able to get his arms underneath it, he was only able to shift its momentum so that it flew out of the court and into the cheering crowd. 

Ryan was visually trying his best to not let it get to him, but Steven shouted in encouragement just in case. Andrew’s force was nothing to be taken lightly, so it simply proved a challenge for their team. A challenge, however, where they somehow had to gain three whole points before the other team could score even one.

Andrew was handed another ball and readying himself for another serve already, so Steven immediately fell back into position, taking a deep breath in and out to focus more than he already was. All he could now was eye Andrew, watching how his muscles shifted underneath his skin as he leapt and hit the ball, letting it sail over the net and into Ryan’s arms once again.

This time, they were a bit more successful. Though Ben had to rush to get himself under the volleyball, Steven was already calling for it, ready and waiting by the net. When Ben glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, Steven didn’t even have to think as he leapt as high as he could into the air, his own hand reaching the ball above him with perfect timing and slamming it down like a whip on the other side of the net. Steven was careful to fall away from the net as he landed, taking a few seconds to register that he had, in fact, scored his team a point. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he roared in glee, eagerly accepting the praise of his teammates and coach.  _ We can still do it _ , Steven thought wildly,  _ we can get this set _ . Perhaps the best part of it all was when he caught the odd stare of Andrew, an uncontrollable smirk spreading into his cheeks as he noticed the awe in Andrew’s eyes.

Shifting around the court, Ben went back to serve the ball. He was okay with handling pressure, but it still must have been a lot to take in to realize that if he messed this one up, then he’d essentially be giving the first set to the home team. Thankfully, Steven was able to watch the ball barely make it over the net, brushing against the very edge and making a spiker dive for it.

The ball was in the air. Somehow, there was just enough momentum for the other team’s setter to get a good enough dig under the ball, letting another player easily send it over the net. Steven’s team was more than ready, playing it so that it got under Ryan’s hand, his jump letting him move the ball so that it went to the centre of the other court.

Yet again, the other team was quick enough to save their asses, still determined to steal the first goddamn set. Everyone moved in tandem, awaiting the setter to decide where they were going to place the ball.

Except they tipped it over the net again. Right between Steven’s late block and the net.

In his desperation to keep it up, Steven flailed, hoping for the ball to perhaps even hit his foot, but the second he felt the net against his arm he knew they had lost the first set. The whistle blew, the crowd roared, and Steven had to try his best not to collapse in defeat on the player who had dove by his feet.

“We’re gonna get the next one, guys,” Steven exclaimed, turning back to his own team. Half of the team was already huddled, desperate to not let their spirits fall for the next set.

Steven was… distracted, to say in the least. He did pay half a mind to what his coach was saying, but he couldn’t help but stare at the other team. Well, not necessarily the other  _ team _ , but Andrew.

It was unfair how hot he had to be. It wasn’t like there weren’t cute guys at volleyball matches but… Steven was in a different state of mind since he was in a different city for the tournament and perhaps didn’t get as much sleep as he would have liked to. His refuge was apparently staring at the way Andrew lifted his jersey to wipe the sweat off his face, revealing rather toned abs just beneath the fabric of his shirt. He was probably listening to his coach better than Steven was, throwing his head back and squirting water into his mouth from his trademark Gatorade bottle. Steven had to rip his gaze away from the spectacle to even keep hope in having any more focus for the game.

Ryan ended up having to shake him out of his daze anyways, briefly running over what their coach had told them because of course he knew Steven wasn’t paying attention. Steven nodded along, already walking back to his place on the court.

He still wasn’t quite present as the first serve pushed the game into play… or almost did, at least, as it hit the net and gave Steven’s team a point. Steven was only brutally forced into the gameplay as he was reminded that it was his turn to serve.

Having the ball thrust into his face, it took it blindly, stepping to the back of the court and trying to figure out if he was going to pull off anything. Glancing up, he could see both his team and the host team staring at him, waiting for him to make any move. His fingers subconsciously tightened around the ball. In an effort to calm himself, he bounced it a few times, getting the feel of its weight and shape in his hands.

_ Go big or go home _ , Steven thought to himself, noticing for half a second that he also held Andrew’s attention and immediately taking pleasure in the thought.

Throwing the ball into the air, Steven jumped and met the ball with his hand at his maximum height, using the force of the momentum of his arm to carry through and serve the ball to the other end of the court. He could tell there were spectators commenting about how high he had jumped, but nothing could steal the satisfaction of seeing Andrew’s face as the ball slammed down by his feet, earning Steven’s team a point.

Thankfully, the point seemed to sufficiently raise his own team’s confidence, seeing their bright smiles and how hard they patted him on the back as he was tossed the ball again. Even he felt a little bit more bold and successfully pulled off a float serve that veered away from the players trying to receive on the other team. His points only stopped flowing in when Steven was too confident in his playing, overshooting his aim as Andrew immediately called the ball out before it even hit the ground. It didn’t bother Steven too much, though, as he was simply happy that he was able to brighten up his own team for the time being.

The ball was set into play once again easily, passed between the libero to the setter to Ryan to finish it off. Ryan didn’t quite get his hand under the ball, so there was a struggle at the net for where the ball would fall to, but by some miracle, the other team gained control of it once again, letting the ball float back to Steven’s side. Steven had no difficulty in receiving it, allowing Ben to make the most efficient play he could, which didn’t seem to work out as the other team’s libero easily picked up the spike.

Everything happened in slow motion, or perhaps it all happened too quickly. Players were already in the air as the volleyball reached the setter’s hands, skillfully manipulating it to the trajectory of one of his teammates. It took a moment for Steven to realize it was tossed to Andrew, who had jumped high enough to be visible just behind the setter, arm poised to spike as soon as it came in contact with the volleyball.

Steven heard the ball hit. He  _ heard  _ it, he  _ saw  _ it coming towards him, but he also  _ felt  _ it. And the next thing he knew, he was lying on the ground, face numb and nose throbbing horribly. 

His teammates swarmed around him, offering him condolences and asking him if he was okay or not. Steven tried waving them away, blinking away the bright fluorescent lights that were starting to make him feel dizzy as he sat up. He could feel the warmth run down his nose in time to bring his hand to block it, leaning forward so that any excess blood would drip onto the floor instead of his jersey. The ref blew her whistle to pause the game, allowing for Steven to exit the court and for someone to come clean up the few spatters of blood he left on the ground.

Everything was spinning when he tried to get up, and Steven could’ve sworn he couldn’t see anything for a few seconds. When he was able to blearily open his eyes, however, he smiled weakly at his teammates, trying his best to assure them that he was going to be alright. There was already a player by their coach waiting to be subbed in, and Steven didn’t want to delay the game any longer than he already was.

Perhaps the thing that really grounded him to reality — or perhaps let him stray even further away from it — was the sight of Andrew against the volleyball net, fingers tightly grasping at the ropes as if it was the only thing keeping him stable. The net was like a barrier, keeping his face on his side of the court and reminding him why there was no reason to be torn over running over and helping or not. Andrew looked so  _ worried _ , his odd charming and stoic facade broken as he debated on whether or not to do anything. 

The sentiment was more than enough for Steven. It was only a bloody nose, and the fact that Andrew was so worried over his —a stranger’s— wellbeing was incredibly validating. He felt his shoulders relax and his eyes soften as he offered a different smile to Andrew, apologetic in nature. Before he would have any time to protest, Steven left the court to be taken care of.

Steven could already hear the game progress as he was led to the changerooms to clean up his nose and check if there had been any serious damage done. Luckily, only a vessel seemed to have broken, which was already healing as the blood flow lessened by the second. Still, the assistant coach fussed over him, worried that he could have a concussion or something of the sort. Steven had to impatiently assure them that he was fine, agreeing to wait for a few minutes longer in the changerooms just in case.

He could still hear mostly what was going on outside. The tide-like rise and fall of cheers were pretty good giveaways to what was currently happening out on the court, but Steven was desperate to see it all and support his teammates from the bench at the very least. Even though his nose still ached a bit, he still wanted to go back onto the court with every fiber of his being.

This could very well be the last set, after all. As much as he didn’t want to think about it, if his team lost spectacularly, he wouldn’t even be there to bear the loss with his team. To some extent, he thought he’d feel a bit guilty if anything, so after a lot of persuasion, he was finally allowed back in the gymnasium to sit on the bench for at least a little while longer.

Thankfully, the two teams were still at each other’s throats, not letting the other get too far ahead. They had already reached the twenty range, and Steven’s team held no sign of giving up anytime soon. Just as Steven stood beside his coach, another point was scored by his team, pulling them ahead by two points. He was instantly dragged back in the game, eagerly cheering on his teammates. 

The crowd of students gradually became more silent as Steven’s team pulled through, managing to pull off a lot of points from a combination of Ryan’s serves and excellent plays. They were on fire, weaving around the court as if they were all part of one machine, one mind. Steven felt slightly sad to not have been a part of it, but pride still overwhelmed his attitude. 

By both hard work and luck, Steven’s team took the set with a very satisfying spike from Ryan, saving their asses but also raising the tensions between the two teams impossibly higher. Steven was already running up to his friend, hugging him and shoving him in excitement.

In between congratulating his team and begging his coach to let him back on, he noticed Andrew being pulled into his own team’s huddle. His attention had drifted over to Steven, still seeming to be debating over whether or not he should apologize or worry or something ridiculous. Steven would never hold it over him. Nevertheless, Andrew was handed a water bottle as his coach started to speak, thus missing his chance to stupidly run over to Steven in the little time they had between the sets. He could try and speak with Steven after the match (and some part of Steven actually hoped they would speak past the opening game).

The (hopefully) last set began without a hitch, and Steven found himself back on the court, refreshed and ready to play. Fifteen points was a short race to get to, and before he knew it, each team managed to keep the other in check, leveling each other out to ten points across the board.

Though he was able to rest before, Steven was almost as exhausted as his teammates now, the match becoming a furious fight for the ball and requiring a large amount of their energy. His legs and arms burned with his throat, and his heartbeat would act like it was trying to escape his chest, pushing him forward as another play began.

No one on the field was anywhere near giving up. From the few glances he’d gotten, Steven had noticed how much careful concentration Andrew held in the game. His actions were purposeful and quick and reflexive, flexible to whatever Steven’s team did. Though mistakes were made here and there on both ends, they were kept to a minimum. Ten points were quick to turn into fourteen points, making tensions rise high above and across the court. Spectators were in the backgrounds of everyone’s thoughts, but their piercing cheers and shouts were still quite present around them.

The referee’s whistle blew, and Steven glanced up at her, wondering what the hell it was for and who the hell was getting the point. Something inside of him crumbled when he realized that it was his fault for accidentally touching the net as he went to block, allowing the point to fifteen be given to the other team. That point was a bit harder to shake off, but he let it go, knowing that it would do him no good if he wanted to try and bring it back.

Soaring over the net, the volleyball was easily handled by the libero, to which the setter tossed it purposefully to one of the strikers. Though the play would have been excellently handled, the other team’s libero managed to slip a hand underneath the ball before it hit the floor at the very last moment, keeping the ball airborne for just a few moments longer. The setter was quick to move underneath it, tossing it to where Steven knew Andrew was running up to.

Steven had to time it perfectly. So much was riding up on this point that he would curse himself out for the rest of the tournament if he didn’t get it properly. He analyzed everything: the movement of the ball, how Andrew’s body was shifting, how much time it would take for Steven’s hands to reach the top of the net… everything he could within the span of about a second or two. Taking a leap of faith, his feet left the ground as Andrew’s arm was swinging forward to meet with the volleyball.

The ball was hit, but it was cushioned by Steven’s perfectly timed block, manipulating its course up and away from the floor. Both players watched it shoot through the air, flying out of bounds and far away from Ryan’ and the libero’s dives. Steven and Andrew fell to the floor on wobbly legs, barely registering what had happened as the ref’s whistle blew for the final time.

Loud cacophony erupted around the gymnasium, absolutely buzzing with amazement at the close win the host school ended up snagging. The host team was cheering loudly and bouncing around, relieved that they managed to keep their close win in the end.

Andrew was outright staring at Steven, who lay on the floor in exhausted defeat. Now that everything was over did the aches and tiredness settle in, confining him against the ground. Still, they held eye contact, allowing themselves to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. The mere sound of Andrew’s laughter was enough to ebb away the feeling of disappointment in Steven’s stomach, not allowing him to dwell on one game when he had an entire tournament to worry about. 

The moment was gone as soon as it was there as Andrew was pulled away by his teammates. Steven let out a deep sigh, counting down to convince himself to actually peel himself off of the ground and grab something to drink. Even so, he only managed a sip of water before they had to run off and shake hands with the other team under the net in a sign of sportsmanship. Once again, Steven’s gaze lingered in Andrew’s as they reached each other, the extra second their hands stayed indicating an underlying message that was mutually understood.

“That was such a good tip, Steven!” Ryan exclaimed as they made their way back to the changerooms. “I know we weren’t able to get it in the end but number eight’s firepower was insane! And you were so quick to react and-”

“Thanks man,” Steven beamed, bumping Ryan’s shoulder and almost making him fall over a tiny, slightly intimidated student spectator. “You had a really impressive game too, I gotta say.”

“Say, are you hungry? I’m thinking about going to the mall just near here for lunch.”

“I guess so. Our next game isn’t for a while. Are you going to invite everyone else?”

“Yeah, probably. Ben and the guys. Maybe you can invite the guy you were eyeing on court-” Ryan was swiftly interrupted by Steven, who had shoved him against the lockers as soon as they entered the changeroom. “What? Were you actually trying to not be obvious?”

“Oh my god, just shut  _ up _ , dude,” Steven rolled his eyes, looking for his bag.

“What? I don’t blame you.”

“ _ Why _ am I even friends with you?”

Most of both teams were in the changeroom, some already having thrown on tracksuits to go out and grab a bite to eat. It didn’t take too long for them to really change, and the only ones who were lagging behind were the boys that were fooling around.

“I forgot some of my shit on the bench,” Steven admitted to Ryan, already heading back to the gymnasium door. “You guys can head out without me.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yeah. I’ll catch up, and if I get lost I’ll just call you.”

“Okay.  _ Go get ‘im _ !”

“I swear to god, I’m just getting my stuff, dipshit.”

As much as he wanted to prove his friend wrong, Steven couldn’t fully deny that Ryan’s implications were part of his intention. Sure, he had the entire weekend here for the tournament, but some part of him was saying the sooner the better. After all, that look and the lingering of their hands after the game had to mean something… Steven wasn’t just a gay fool for misinterpreting a pretty boy’s actions, right?

Shaking himself mentally, he weaved through all of the students still trying to exit the gymnasium, going back to the bench were a varsity women’s team was already warming up to grab his costume. He was a bit antsy to retrieve it as he had left his phone wrapped up in the clothes.

Thankfully, the costume was still wrapped up where he had left it, half falling off the bench. He pocketed his phone immediately and decided to take the exit closest to the bench, getting lost in a crowd of students as he attempted to find a washroom.

Once he successfully managed to take a piss, he stood out in the hallway in the middle of roaming students, regrettably realizing that he was just a bit lost. The chatter was somehow louder around the corner of the hall where the cafeteria probably was, but Steven just wanted to find his way back to the gymnasium. Clutching at his costume a bit tighter, he tried navigating his way back to the gym. 

All the confidence he held in the spotlight on the court was fading away, giving way to the strange anxiousness of being lost and alone in an unfamiliar school. Gulping, he tried taking another turn before almost bumping into someone.

“Oh, shit, sorry-” Steven immediately rambled, arm securing their shoulder so that they didn’t fall over. “I was just looking for the gym, or at least the changerooms and-”

Steven finally took the time to process exactly who he had bumped into, gaping as his anxiousness morphed into something quite different.

Andrew took some time in looking up, but the second he was met with Steven’s confused expression, something mischievous danced behind his eyes. “Are you lost?”

_ God _ , Andrew’s voice was so much better up close and personal… and Steven was so,  _ so  _ gay.

“I’m not  _ exactly  _ lost,” Steven pouted, competitiveness automatically flaring up. He crossed his arms, distancing himself mostly to not let Andrew notice how fast his heart had sped up. “There’s just a lot of people here.”

“Are you from a smaller school?” he asked genuinely. Judging by his glances, Steven could tell he was being read by the boy.  _ Goddammit _ .

“You could say that,” he sighed, forcing himself to relax. Tensing up would do nothing to ease the coiling anticipation that was bubbling in his stomach. 

Andrew offered him a kinder smile than Steven had received all morning. “Well, I still need to change, so I guess you can just follow me.”

The long walk back to the changerooms was not as awkward as it was intense — at least on Steven’s behalf. Though he towered over Andrew by just a bit, Andrew was still every bit intimidating, judging by the way even students acknowledged him as they passed. He was friendly enough but brief, probably exhausted from the game and eager to get something to eat.

“I gotta say,” Andrew randomly spoke up, startling Steven out of his hyperfocus of his own breathing and walking, “I know we got the last point but… your skill and your determination was pretty impressive.” Steven felt his face heat up.  _ God why now _ , in front of the entire school like this.

“I’m okay,” he shrugged off. “I’m not the best on the team, I was just… in awe at your power though. Your presence.”

“You’re a good player,” Andrew insisted, glancing to the other side as he tried to figure out which hallway he was at. “It’s been a while since I’ve felt that much in a game.” Oh my god,  _ oh my god. _

“I’m honoured,” Steven managed to play it off, running a hand through his still sweaty hair. Everything he had wanted to say and imagined himself saying to Andrew was completely wiped from his head, leaving him utterly self-conscious and filled with  _ need _ . Hopefully Andrew could just take the wheel on this whole conversation thing.

“I never got to apologize about your nose,” Andrew muttered, almost as if he was unsure if it was to be kept a secret from the crowd around them. Steven had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

“C’mon dude!” He impulsively thumped him on the back ( _ holy shit those back muscles _ ), startling Andrew out of whatever guilt-ridden mood he had flung himself into. “I’m fine; it was just a bit of blood. I’ve  _ definitely  _ had worse before.”

“I still feel bad… I wasn’t going easy on you there-”

“It’s fine, Andrew,” Steven asserted, almost completely freezing once he realized what he had said. Fuck,  _ shit _ : he had addressed him by his name without asking for it first and was going to be labelled a goddamn  _ stalker  _ and-

Andrew blinked. “Huh?”

“Ah-”

“You know my name?” Andrew sounded more genuinely surprised than anything, curious but somewhat happy to hear so. Steven took it as a good sign, so he approached the topic with caution.

“Uh, yeah…” he mumbled. “I- I remember hearing it during starting lineup but also seeing it during opening ceremony-”

“Because of my last name?” Andrew laughed, and Steven joined him hesitantly. “Illnyckyj?”

“I guess… kinda… yeah…”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Steven.”

It was Steven’s turn to be shocked. “Wait… you remember  _ my  _ name?”

Andrew had the audacity to look baffled. “Of course. Your face isn’t something easily forgotten.”

_ Ohhhhhh my god hohhhhh godddddddd. _

Steven’s brain was beginning to malfunction.  _ Fuckin hormones _ . The need that had been building up with every step was mounting incredibly higher, especially with its actual possibility being so close to reach. 

They stumbled into the changerooms at last, finding only two other boys from Andrew’s team that were still changing. Something in Steven was ridiculously disappointed, but he considered it more of a chance to get his shit together first.

“So what was your costume supposed to be?” Andrew asked absentmindedly, watching Steven throw his clothes on the locker room bench. 

“Our team had a Snow White theme-”

“Oh yeah, for sure… I just didn’t realize Prince Charming was a volleyball player.”

Steven narrowed his eyes at him, slowly lowering himself to sit on the bench. “Okay, smartass, and why is that? How else is Prince Charming supposed to keep in shape?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t princes usually busy with fences and horseback riding and tea parties?”

“Tea parties aren’t exercise.”

“They are when you have a little sister.”

Steven had honestly no idea how to respond to that, but the mere thought amused him to no end, trying to imagine Andrew dealing with an over-energetic little girl. He didn’t fight the smile that made its way across his face.

The odd atmosphere between them returned when the other two guys in the changeroom started moving around again. Andrew, who was still leaning against the lockers, let his eyes roam behind Steven, eyeing the other guys accusingly. A shiver ran down Steven’s spine.

Andrew’s stare didn’t leave the other two boys as they seemed to be packing up and leaving for lunch, finally opening the door to the busy hallway before exiting at last. The second the door closed, echoing around the room, Andrew’s eyes snapped back to Steven’s.

Even the air felt like it heated a few degrees, making it slightly harder for Steven to breathe. He knew perfectly well that both of them were still sweaty from the game, but something in his teenage, hormone-ridden brain couldn’t give less of a shit. Squeezing his fingers into his palms, he stared back equally as intensely, provoking him to make a move.

“You weren’t being obvious just to tease me, right?” Andrew finally drawled, voice already lower than it had been before. Steven had to take in a stuttered breath, feeling the heat warm his face. 

“Was I really being that obvious?”

“I couldn’t tell if you were concentrating on me or the game.”

“Don’t get too cocky.”

“Bold of you to say that when almost every time I saw you, you were looking at me.”

_ Two could play at that game. _ Steven stood up slowly, straightening up to his fullest height. Andrew didn’t even bat an eye.

“Well, it should be illegal for someone to be so handsome.”

“So are we talking about me or you here?”

Steven smugly held his hands up. “Guilty of charge.”

Smirking, Andrew suddenly reached forward, grabbing Steven’s arms and turning him around to push him up against the lockers roughly. If the Steven from an hour ago was told he was going to be manhandled in the changeroom after the game by Armdrew Ilnyckyj, he wouldn’t have believed it. Still, the evident look of hunger in his eyes did wonders to his head.

“Guess we’ll meet in court, then,” Andrew joked, beginning to lean impossibly closer. Steven shifted where he was against the lockers, obviously staring down at Andrew’s pretty mouth, barely holding on to patience as he ignored the impulse to leap forward. “Or…  _ I suppose we already have _ .”

Steven’s mind was spinning. All the strange feeling and testosterone that had been building up to this moment was flooding his chest, failing to let him process the few words shared between them. He was so shamelessly needy, endorsed in the fact that Andrew was miraculously about in the same state as he was. He lazily tried to sift through what Andrew had meant as he drew even closer, his eyelashes fluttering on his cheeks as his eyes grew lidded, angling himself to meet with Steven perfectly-

Perhaps it was because his mind was so hazy with lust that made it all seem ten times funnier. Something clicked in Steven’s head, and it took almost everything in him to not burst out laughing. Instead, to contain himself, he bit his lip, failing to keep his laughter to himself as his chest shook.

Confused, Andrew stopped where he was, slowly (and unfortunately) pulling back to gaze at Steven, wordlessly asking what was so funny. 

“ _ I- I just got it- _ ” Steven giggled, barely managing to keep his composure. He took delight in the fact that his laughter was making Andrew struggle to push his own giggles down.

“Got what?” 

“ _ Th- The volley- the volleyball pun _ ,” Steven managed to force out, shaking with laughter, “ _ Court- see you- on the court- _ ” There were close to being tears in his eyes, but it was okay because he could finally see the understanding flood into Andrew’s features. He let the smile loose at last, joining Steven in his antics at laughing at his own bad humor. 

“I thought it was a good one,” Andrew admitted, loosening his grip and shifting it so that he held Steven’s shoulders against the lockers. “Was it not suave enough for you?”

Steven clicked his tongue. “You’ve got a cute face and godly volleyball skills but a bad humor.” Andrew looked ready to protest, but Steven interrupted for him. “You’re lucky I like you even more because of it.”

Letting their last few bouts of giggles ebb away, Steven leaned his head all the way against the lockers, having to peer down at Andrew over his own cheeks smugly. This time, Andrew didn’t move, carefully analyzing Steven instead.

“Tell me another volleyball pun,” Steven demanded.

“I thought we were supposed to makeout,” he argued.

“Tell me another volleyball pun and then I’ll kiss you.”

Andrew stared at him for a while, but never ended up protesting. Steven stared back, challenging him to think of something really bad. Never had he thought his weekend was going to turn out this way, but he was equally as content to simply gaze at Andrew’s face anyhow.

Still thinking, Andrew’s expression didn’t waver much. His eyes would twitch as they’d inspect another aspect of Steven’s face, possibly torn between thinking hard and being distracted. That stoic expression was back, playfully insinuating that he had something in mind.

“Don’t forget to practice safe sets.”

Steven stared back at him.

Andrew stared harder.

Steven began to crack under the pressure.

Andrew’s deadpan face was getting harder and harder to look at.

“ _ Pfft _ .”

Steven finally lost it, throwing himself forward to bury his face in Andrew’s shoulder as he descended into giggles once again. Andrew struggled to make him straighten up again, complaining that he had been robbed of kisses once again.

Letting himself be tugged up, Steven slipped his hands to grab the sides of Andrew’s face, holding it in place. Though his voice was barely above a whisper, it was a demand, permitting Andrew to do whatever he pleased.

“Kiss me _ , pretty boy. _ ”

Not wasting anymore time, Andrew’s lips came crashing on Steven’s before pulling away slightly, allowing it to subside in softer touches. Steven was still pinned against the lockers, utterly breathless. Though the start was a bit rough around the edges, Steven could tell Andrew was somewhat experienced, not to mention a damn good kisser.

“ _ God _ , I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” Steven sighed against his lips. Andrew shifted slightly, kissing the corner of Steven’s mouth before he replied.

“You met me… what, an hour ago?”

“ _ Mmm _ , that’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean? Am I just someone to-”

“ _ No _ !” Steven insisted, nuzzling him before pressing forward for another, slightly deeper kiss. “I just didn’t realize how much I needed this until now.”

“I’m going to pretend I know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh my god.”

Right as they were about to deepen the kiss even further, something bumped against the door, startling them away from each other’s faces. Though they stayed in their compromising position, they both stared at the door, wondering if someone was about to barge in and actually interrupt them.

Steven glanced back to Andrew, leaning closer so that his breath was dusting over his cheekbone. “Are we going to have to save it for later?” 

To his utter amusement, Andrew pouted. He didn’t say anything, but he continued to study the door, mind probably whirring. Not paying any mind to the feather-light kisses Steven was trailing down his jawline, he strained his neck to get a good look around the changeroom. 

“Follow me,” he finally muttered, releasing his grip on Steven and pulling away. Steven followed absently, trying to linger as long as he could before being pulled along to the showers. 

Getting into what was probably the cleanest stall (it wasn’t like anyone used them anyhow), Steven decided to take matters into his own hands, spinning Andrew around and picking him up, pushing him up against the tiled wall so that his back was supported. Andrew didn’t protest at all, instead complied by wrapping his legs around Steven’s waist, letting their lips slide back together.

One of the best things about Andrew was his scent. Steven had no goddamn idea why it was so appealing when they were both still so sweaty from the game, but it still drew him in, appealing to whatever was overpowering his brain. Not to mention the hint of a cologne still but a trace on his skin. 

“ _ Shit _ ,” Andrew murmured against Steven, then promptly shutting up temporarily as Steven pressed further for a deeper kiss.

“What is it?”

Andrew pulled back briefly, letting his arms hang around Steven’s neck as he studied his eyes. “I can’t believe how lucky I got with you.”

“Don’t go all mushy with me or I’ll drop you,” Steven protested. He pushed forward slightly in an attempt to reconnect their lips, but Andrew veered away slightly, apparently not having finished staring at him yet.

“I’m honestly surprised you haven’t dropped me yet.” He pressed forward instead and pecked Steven’s lips, not letting him continue (much to his dismay).

“You’re not that heavy,” Steven whined. “Stop being difficult and just let me-”

The locker room door slammed open, startling the two boys where they were. (That time, Steven almost really dropped Andrew). Each stared at each other with worry, both wondering how they were going to get away with… whatever they were doing.

“ _ Do you think they’ll go? _ ” Steven whispered, leaning towards him so he could speak softly. Andrew wasn’t exactly listening, however, and was actually leaning around Steven, fiddling with something before successfully turning the shower handle on. Steven hissed at the cold water suddenly splashing at his ankles and dampening his hair. Andrew was already busy again, trying to tug the shower curtain closed.

“Steven?”

_ Fuck _ . It was Ryan. Of course it was.

“Yeah?” Steven called out, albeit weakly.

“Oh good, I thought you’d still be here.” His voice was approaching the shower fast, and Steven’s heartbeat was climbing impossibly higher. “What are you doing?”

“Uhm,” Steven stumbled over words, thankful that Andrew had apparently been one step ahead of him. “I’m just rinsing off. It was a close game.”

“Ah.”

_ Oh fuck no. _ Steven had to hold in a gasp as he realized with horror that Andrew had tightened his hold around Steven, kissing and slowly working with his neck and collarbone and it was warm and wet and Steven honestly didn’t think he was going to last.

“Do you need anything in there?” Ryan continued. He was probably right in front of his shower stall by now. Steven gulped.

“Not- not right now, thanks,” he managed with stuttered breath, mentally cursing out Andrew for putting him in such a disposition. “I should be almost done w-with this… uh… I’ll meet you guys out in a few.”

Ryan sounded amused and Steven was terrified he knew everything. “It’s already been ages, Steven. What have you been doing all this time?”

“Well-”

“Did you meet hot stuff in the hallway?”

_ Shit _ , Steven absolutely  _ burned _ . He could even feel Andrew’s smirk against his skin before he… oh my god he  _ bit  _ him. Steven tilted his head back and bit his lip to try and keep himself silent.

“I-”

“You?”

“Yeah, I met up with him.”

“So you were…?”

“We just chatted for a bit!” Steven rushed out, almost yelping as Andrew bit again. He was going to  _ kill  _ him once Ryan left. “I got to… know him a little better.”

“Oh is that so?”

“Yep. Definitely.”

“Ah. Well, if you wanna bring them along with you to eat with us, I don’t think the boys will mind.”

“Got it. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Whelp, see you soon, Steven. See you soon- hm. See you soon.” And with that, the change room door shut behind him.

“What are you trying to do…  _ leave a mark? _ ” Steven immediately scolded, reaching behind him to turn the shower off. The only thing he was greeted with was a lazy smirk.

“Maybe I am.”

“God, you’re unbelievable.”

They kissed again, but this time it was slower, letting them take the time to mull over a few things. Parting to take a breath, they didn’t immediately lean in for more.

“My arms are kinda sore now, I gotta say,” Steven admitted, slowly letting Andrew back onto solid ground. “How long do you think we’d manage before someone else comes in?”

“I think the next teams are due to start changing soon.”

“So… what do you say about grabbing a bite to eat with me first?”

Andrew looked positively happy at the suggestion. Though what they had been doing before was exciting in its own way, the expression gracing his features left Steven enamoured of him even more.

“Isn’t the rest of your team going to be there?”

“So? You can meet the family early on.”

“Isn’t it bad timing?” Andrew teased, unable to hide his beam. “After I just kicked your asses with that last spike?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” Steven scoffed. His arms slid down with Andrew’s, letting them hang down as they held onto each other’s hands for support. He squeezed Andrew’s fingers slightly, just to make sure they were actually there.

“Can I at least get a phone number before we forget?”

“You can get whatever you want, dude.” Steven leaned on the tips of his toes to press one last kiss to Andrew’s pretty mouth.

“Don’t  _ ‘dude’  _ me,” he laughed.

“That’s the price you gotta pay.”

“Then can I get a boyfriend?”

_ Congratulations to Andrew Ilnyckyj, pretty boy of the year to render Steven Lim absolutely speechless _ . Steven had to gaze down at the floor tiles, smiling so hard that it hurt his cheeks.

“Depends on who it is.”

Andrew seemed pained.

“Of course you can,” Steven ended up cracking, giggling out of pure nerves. Andrew instantly lit up, letting go of one hand to pull Steven away from the showers so they could actually get changed.

“I can’t wait to show off my hot volleyball boyfriend.”

“I never knew you were such a big dork.”

“Oh, just you wait, Steven… just you wait.”

As he changed back into his (cleaner) tracksuit, Steven suddenly remembered the daydream he had had earlier, just before the opening ceremony. It all seemed so grand, almost completely out of reach. It wasn’t like it was a bad thing to have such a large goal, but Steven almost felt lost sometimes, knowing only that he was floating and drifting towards that dream in some way.

Glancing at Andrew (somehow his new boyfriend), he watched as he stuffed some of his volleyball gear into a locker, closing and locking it when he was done. He was whistling to some absent tune, content with how his day had been turning out.

Maybe Steven was simply happy where he was now.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no i dont actually play volleyball. the only experience i have in this entire fic is like... the opening ceremony lol


	6. "tears"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Standrew prompt: someone or something makes Steven cry, and Andrew's reaction" — Anonymous via tumblr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so like,,,, please take note it Is 2am and i had the shittiest day in years and just sat down to write smth that came to mind and happened to align with an old prompt i had based on a stupid experience of mine and.... uh...... i'll explain at the end :)

Nothing made Andrew pause in horror like accidentally eavesdropping a heaving sob from one of the bathroom stalls behind him as he was washing his hands.

What made it even worse, he gradually realized as water poured over his frozen hands, was that he definitely recognized the voice that had echoed throughout the tiled room.

Finally gathering his senses, Andrew turned off the tap, slowly shaking his hands free of water. He honestly didn’t know what to do in that type of issue, somewhat unsure of how to approach someone else having been thrust into an emotional situation. Andrew turned around and cleared his throat.

“Steven?” he asked tentatively. Now there was dead silence.  _ Fuck _ . He tried again. “Steven?”

There was a deep breath. “Y- yeah?”

“Are… are you alright?”

“Hm? Oh, uh…” Some sniffling. “Yes, yeah, definitely, I’m completely fine.”

“You…”  _ Oh god. _ Andrew sighed. “You can talk… you can talk to me, if you’d like. If, if you need anything, that is.”

“No, it’s okay! I’m completely fine!”

“... Are you sure?”

The toilet flushed, and Steven stumbled out of the stall, going to wash his own hands. Andrew, appalled, watched a few extra tears leak from his eyes.  _ He was obviously not fucking okay at all. _ Steven hurridley brushed them away, splashing cool water on his cheeks.

“Steven…” Andrew warned, barely daring to approach him with an arm outstretched. 

The tap turned off, but Steven still didn’t glance at Andrew until after he had dried his hands. Finally glancing up at him, something emerged from within him, and with his face contorting he turned away, heaving… another sob? Andrew was too preoccupied with lunging forward, wrapping his arms around Steven’s shaking shoulders to consolidate him. 

Maybe it was better to not say anything at all. It took awhile for him to calm down, so Andrew stood there awkwardly, arm wrapped around his friend as he rubbed his back. Every once in a while the brief and jittery shaking would start again until Steven held his breath and surfaced.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Steven turned red. Or at least Andrew thought he did, as the blush from crying was still prominent on his features.

“It’s nothing,” Steven promised, biting his lip as if he was struggling to contain some emerging expression. “I’ll see you around.” He promptly turned around and left the washroom, hand covering his mouth so that his face was mostly covered.

Andrew was going to  _ murder  _ whoever made Steven cry.

 

* * *

 

He knew he was probably taking it out of proportion, but Steven was acting jumpier around him for the rest of the day (which probably went unnoticed by everyone else, but it really got on Andrew’s nerves, if he was being honest), and he really wanted to get to the root of why his friend was reduced to bawling in the bathroom during work. 

Which is exactly why he found himself scrolling through social media instead of planning future worth it episodes like he was  _ supposed  _ to be doing.

Andrew’s first assumption was that it could possibly some partner that had done Steven wrong. He liked to believe that, as his best friend, he would know first of a new relationship, but knowing Steven it was very possible he’d want to try and keep it undercover for a little while before announcing anything. The mere thought of a partner he currently despised, but that was a thought for a later occasion. Currently, he was trying to decide if Steven could really stay secretive for long enough to be so broken up about someone. Nothing on Steven’s social media (personal or public) quite tied in with that theory, however, so he dropped it (for now, Andrew’s brain hastily tacked on).

A side branch of that original thought was the falling out of a friendship, or any other type of relationship, for that matter. The social media hunt continued to be in vain though, as no dispute was surfaced through a relatively thorough search — and it wasn’t like Steven would make something so serious public, anyhow. Using social media and Steven’s public life was then ruled out as evidence.

The next attempt was texting Ryan. In hindsight it definitely should have been embarrassing, but Andrew saw no issue in casually leaning back in his office chair, texting one of Steven’s other best friends if he knew of what could be upsetting Steven as of late. It was only as he was awaiting Ryan’s text to be typed out that he realized Andrew wasn’t quite sure what he would do with information if he did receive some.  _ Petty revenge? _ Very possible. Nonetheless, all Andrew received from Ryan was a “ _ nope _ ” and a “ _ why do you want to know so badly????? _ ”, so Ryan was also out of the question. Andrew automatically switched apps too as Steven crept up behind him and berated him for not working.

Even in the moment Andrew understood that perhaps this was a bit overdramatic, but he created a mass minor email with pretty much everyone in the Worth It team except for Steven, asking about the same question. He did his best to not inflate it to  _ “something bad happened to Steven please help” _ , hoping that this would only result in answers and not actions. Unfortunately, within the next dozen or so minutes, most of the emails he received back were either very concerned over Steven’s wellbeing or simply inquiring why Andrew was going to these lengths to figure this out. Andrew replied back to any incoming emails not to worry, but not bothering to answer anything he didn’t deem necessary. Still, there was no sign of distress from Steven’s life, so Andrew was left baffled once again.

Maybe it was more personal than any of their coworkers would know. Andrew wandered to get himself some tea, absently pondering whether it’d be worth it to ask Steven’s brother or if that would be overkill. At this point he was too invested in his search, too distracted by Steven’s wellbeing to give two flying fucks about work. Andrew bumped into Kelsey on his way back to his desk, asking her the same question he had been of everyone, only to be met with an odd scrunch of eyebrows and sympathetic smile. Kelsey laughed good-naturedly, telling him that Steven would probably deal with it in his own time in his own way (which was definitely right), leaving Andrew to wonder if it was truly best to try and coerce it out of Steven himself again.

When he got back to his desk, he noticed Steven was already back working. As he heard Andrew approach, Andrew noticed Steven became slightly red as he pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Rie just told me she hoped I’d feel better soon,” Steven told him as he sat down, not sparing even a glance to Andrew.

“She did?” Andrew mused.  _ Fuck _ .

“She said you were worrying about me.”

“Ah.”

Steven sighed for a very long time. “Is this about what happened earlier?”

_ Could he get Steven to admit what was making him feel bad? _ “Yeah.”

“I have something to confess.” Steven sat where he was for a really long time, still not having glanced at Andrew. Andrew sat in suspense, not even daring to take a sip of his steaming tea. “This is technically Adam’s fault.”

“Oh, great. How am I supposed to kill  _ Adam _ ?”

“Please do not do that.”

“Why not?”

“... Okay so I don’t know how I’m going to tell you this but…”

“... But…?”

“You know what? I’ll just show you.” Steven rummaged around his pockets for his phone, immediately opening a conversation with Adam before tapping on a Tumblr link for a video. He immediately handed the phone to Andrew so he could bury his face in his arms.

There was… Sonic.  _ Watch closely, bro _ . A… baby Sonic?  _ Next time, you’re doin’ it _ . And a… diaper changing scene with guitar riffs and odd background music.  _ Eugh _ . 

_ Harrahrrharrh _ .

Steven began to lose his shit.

Andrew blinked. Was it… was it just that one sound? That  _ one  _ odd sound that Sonic made that could make Steven a quivering mess of giggles so easily. Andrew paused the video.

“Are you telling me…” Andrew began slowly. Steven had to muffle himself even more to quash the absurdity of the situation. “Are you telling me… that  _ I…  _ worried…  _ emailed  _ other people… over you… because you were laughing silently…  _ sobbing…  _ over some  _ stupid Sonic clip _ ?”

He could barely discern the shaky nods Steven gave him. Steven was red to his ears, gradually reminding Andrew of his own shame from the situation.  _ God _ , this was so stupid. He couldn’t believe he’d actually fallen for something like that.

“I- I didn’t know how to tell you,” Steven admitted between breaths, barely managing to keep it together. “It was already embarrassing enough to be caught c-crying in the washrooms… how was I- how was I supposed to explain that it was all because of-” He cut himself off with his own laughter.  _ At least it was contagious. _

Later, when they confronted Adam about the issue, all he had to comment was “Oh,  _ that _ .” Annie laughed her ass off and told both Steven and Andrew they were both idiots. Andrew regrettably came to the conclusion that he would at some point also have to explain to everyone he sought out for help on Steven’s predicament.

Neither Andrew nor Steven would forgive Adam the rare time they’d eavesdrop him recounting to other coworkers and friends of their amusing misunderstanding even months later.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BASED OFF A TRUE FUCKIN STORY CAUSE MY DUMBASS SAW [THIS DUMB VIDEO](http://hasmoneanbulbasaur.tumblr.com/post/149668346928/iguanamouth-colin-and-i-found-this-sonic) AGES AGO AND THEN WHEN I FOUND IT AGAIN A FEW MONTHS BACK GUESS I WAS IN A WEIRD MOOD AND LITERALLY LAUGHED SO HARD I FUCKIN S OB B E D AND I DONT KNOW WHY,, MY MOM WAS SHAMING ME FOR IT,,, IT WAS THE WILDEST EXPERIENCE IVE EVER HAD,,, OKAY BYE I GUESS


	7. feline hopelessness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I saw your last Standrew fic and wow... it was amazing! Maybe you can do another one but with Andrew crying ??" via [paprbirb](http://paprbirb.tumblr.com/) on tumblr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it was actually super hard to come up with a reason for andrew to cry, but i hope this would be in character enough!! sorry there's so much angst, it was the best i could do!!! (and i guess it's only fair, considering ive been writing pretty much everything else lol)
> 
> the song i was thinking of from the album i mention is this: ( [spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/09LrATdMKeLFhKvdWsySVd?si=-6Aqn_bRR4S5Fs8WkURNCw) / [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0tzCc1NhaY) ), in case you were curious (considering bach "takes the cake", i wonder what andrew would actually think of this song lmao. my classical/jazz ass is in love with it btw)
> 
> **warning for past animal death!!** in case you're sensitive to stuff like that... it's not explicitly described, that's just the, uh, reasoning... yeah...

Steven knew perfectly well he should’ve called before dropping by, or at least sent a text. For all he knew, it was wholly possible that Andrew was busy or out and couldn’t come to the door, but Steven had the impulse to see his friend’s dumb face at the moment, so he decided that dropping off a jacket he had accidentally stolen on their last trip and a Christmas present would suffice as an excuse.

Humming along to the radio, Steven absently remembered that he had found an album that he’d thought Andrew would quite like. He had been browsing Spotify when he encountered some jazz arrangements of famous Bach pieces the Manhattan Jazz Orchestra had pulled off, and he was wondering how Andrew would react while listening to it, remembering exactly what his friend’s music taste was. Just imagining his face made him feel elated. Steven tapped on the steering wheel to drain the sparked buzz of excitement.

Nothing seemed wrong — at first, at least. The sun was scorching for December in LA, and his juggling act distracted Steven right up until he was standing on Andrew’s front porch. He only paused and peered suspiciously when he realized the front door was left slightly ajar.

Had Andrew been expecting someone? Was he letting air in? Steven hesitated at the door mat, not sure how welcome he was. Knocking on the door made it swing open a bit further, so he called out to him. No answer.

Not even bothering to take off his shoes, Steven pushed his way inside, closing the door behind him in an afterthought of Wellington escaping. Everything remained quiet, so Steven made his way to the living room.

Andrew was sitting on a couch, back to Steven. His shoulders shook with breathy shudders as he sat hunched over something in his lap.

“Andrew?” Steven called out softly, not too sure how to dissect the scene presented to him. Andrew jumped, apparently startled from not having heard him enter.

Wiping at his eyes frantically, Andrew held his arm over his face and tried to even his breathing before he even attempted to turn around. Steven put everything he was carrying down on an adjacent table, not daring to approach his friend quite yet. When Andrew failed to speak, Steven piped up again.

“Is everything alright?”

Andrew paused. Deciding that he still wasn’t emotionally put together, he beckoned Steven to near with his head. Though he remained where he was for a few beats, Steven slowly moved forward.

There was… a lump of old sheets on Andrew’s lap…  _ oh _ .

Wrapped in the sheet was a cat.

It wasn’t moving.

Steven’s hand flew to his mouth. He instantly felt a lump rise in his own throat.

The cat wasn’t Wellington, but it was a cat all the same. It didn’t have a collar, and there were bloodstains from the inside of the sheet. Still, it somehow was able to look somewhat peaceful in death, eyes closed as it lay curled in Andrew’s lap. Perhaps part of the reason was because Andrew was still delicately stroking its fur, gently rubbing the pad of his thumb to smooth down the hairs on its forehead. 

“We-” Andrew’s voice was rough, so he coughed to try and mask it. “We need to get to a vet.”

Steven had to be realistic. “You know- we can’t- it’s- It’s too late now, Andrew.”

Silence. Andrew scratched behind the cat’s ears. Steven wanted to reach out to pet it too, but he didn’t know whether he’d be able to handle it or not. He went around the couch to sit beside him, as far away from the cat as he could with his hands placed meticulously in his own lap.

“What happened?” His voice was hushed, as if he would wake the cat if he spoke any louder. Andrew audibly gulped. His voice was quiet too.

“Car. I was getting the mail when it happened. I- I tried to get there in time but… I was too late, Steven.”

“Hm.”

“She… she passed in my arms.”

Steven nodded. He didn’t know what else to do.

“We need to get her to a vet,” Andrew declared, tightening his hold slightly.

“There’s no point-”

“For identification, Steven. What if she belonged to someone?”

There was no collar and no tattoo. “It’s probably a stray.”

“What if there’s a microchip? I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

So they were going to go to the vet. Steven decided that he would probably have to drive; he wasn’t going to carry the cat, and he didn’t really want Andrew driving in the condition he was in, despite how he’d probably deny being emotionally unstable whatsoever.

“Do… do you have a box or something?” Steven asked. “To… to bring it, or… or whatever. Something cozy-...?” He was rambling now.

Pause. “There’s a wine box by the recycling.”

“Do…?” Steven shifted in his spot slightly. “Do you want me to get it?”

Andrew looked like he was about to say something before snapping his mouth shut, nodding tersely. Steven sighed before finally pulling himself from the couch, leaving the two to find the unfolded box.

When he returned, he helped Andrew get up and place the cat inside.

“You’re not taking your sheet?”

Andrew shook his head. “She deserves something nice.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

Though the cat was safely placed, Andrew stood over the box on the dining room table, gazing inside and tucking them in as if they were sleeping. His head drooped to the side as he continued to pet down its fur.

“Are you going to be okay?” Steven was only keeping it together because he wasn’t solemnly staring at the cat. Andrew, on the other hand....

Andrew was on the verge of answering, but he pressed his lips together, furiously keeping any emerging emotion down. His stare could’ve burned holes through the box with how hard he was trying to stay focused. 

Lip trembling, he suddenly stepped back, fists clenched. Steven continued to be ignored in vain as Andrew turned around, backing up to collapse back on the couch. His head fell forward, elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands. Steven knew he was the type to need space, but nevertheless, he approached cautiously, settling on the cushion beside his friend. A small sob slipped from Andrew. Steven slipped a hand over to his back, comfortingly rubbing the stress from between his shoulder blades. 

“There’s nothing you could’ve done.” Andrew stayed stubbornly silent at Steven’s comment.  _ Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say. _ “You can take as much time as you need.” A shaky sigh.  _ Okay, so he was getting better _ . 

“You know most of the reason I’m upset is because of Wellington.” Andrew’s voice was terrifyingly steady for how broken up he was. 

“...Mm?”

He sniffled, briefly trying to wipe extra tears and snot from his face before planting it firmly back in his hands. “I…” His words were cautious, carefully chosen. Yes, he managed to keep his stoic and disconnected facade, but he was struggling to do so. “You know how close I’ve grown to Wellington.”

“Oh. Yes, I’ve realized.”

“I just… I just can’t imagine…”

Steven knew perfectly well what he meant. He knew perfectly well that Andrew had grown a deeper emotional connection with Wellington than anyone else. He knew perfectly well that even imagining his death would be… absolutely unbearable — a weakness. 

“Not that- of course- well, this- too-” Andrew fumbled.

Steven interrupted him. “You know I’m a touchy person, right?”

It took a moment for Andrew to understand, but he finally nodded, shoulders relaxing in resignation. Taking that as a yes, Steven extended his arm out further, wrapping his hand around his friend’s furthest arm to pull him into a warm hug. Andrew let himself be held for once, relaxing against Steven’s chest and regulating himself with every even breath. Steven took the opportunity to let a hand creep up to his friend’s hair, absently stroking and weaving fingers through it — almost as if Andrew were the cat. 

Both sat there for a while, getting a grasp of the situation and trying to get themselves together. At one point, Wellington wandered out from the hallway, leaping and curling up onto the armchair across from them. Andrew, who had lowered his hands probably a few minutes ago, stared at his cat as if he were the most important thing in the world. Steven continued to stroke his hair.

After what could have been dozens of minutes, Andrew sat up on his own accord, seeming to have composed himself. He heaved a great sigh before finally speaking up.

“We should probably get going.”

“Of course.”

Andrew went to the kitchen sink to wash his face with cold water. Steven sat where he was, lingering in the heat that remained from his friend’s warmth. Before turning off the tap, Andrew ran wet finger through his hair, pushing it back and away from his forehead. Wiping his hands, he came back to the living room to stand beside Wellington’s armchair.

“Would…” Steven began. “Do you want to have a funeral? For, uh… for them? When we come back.”

With a watched hand, Andrew was petting Wellington, scratching him behind the ears. Steven could barely hear a purr from where he sat. Wellington rubbed his head against Andrew’s arm happily and Andrew smiled solemnly.

“Yes, I think I’d like that a lot.”

**Author's Note:**

> [my buzzfeed unsolved (+worth it) blog](https://unsolvedbs.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> [main blog](http://universalsatan.tumblr.com/)  
> [writing blog (updates/new fics)](http://celestialberries.tumblr.com/)


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